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hockey-fics · 4 years ago

Note

2 from the kissing prompt list and 5 from the smutty prompt list with Crosby or Tito please!

This is 2 from the kissing prompt list with Crosby. I’ll add 5 with Tito to my list!

Prompt: Kiss in the middle of a fight

A/N: never used someone else’s gif before but huge thank you to the person who made that one, I know how much effort goes into making gifs

Warnings: argument (obviously), language, and an age gap.

Four years.

Four years since your first date.

When he took you for dinner at a restaurant that was way out of your budget and your comfort zone. Because you were barely 20, a college student living in a rundown apartment with bars on the window and three locks on the front door. And he was almost 30, making more money than you could even wrap your head around, living in an apartment on the side of town you only fantasized about living in.

But as soon as you were with him that night all your worries subsided. And when you saw the drink menu, hesitating at the prices, Sidney made a casual comment to order whatever you wanted. And when you excused yourself to the bathroom towards the end of the night Sidney paid for the bill while you were gone, not even giving you the chance to have to worry about splitting it. He drove you home that night and parked his car, walking you to your door and waiting till you were securely in your apartment before leaving.

You never would have admitted it then but you fell in love with him that night.

But it wasn’t always easy. Because he was almost a full ten years older than you. You were at different points in your life. For the most part it wasn’t an issue, you were mature for your age and he was accepting of the fact that occasionally you did just want to go out and party with your friends. But there were comments, from your family, from his family, from your friends, hell, even the media seemed to have an opinion on your relationship. You saw the tweets, the Instagram comments. You tried your best to pretend you didn’t, but even though he tried to avoid it as much as he could he was in the spotlight and it was inevitable.

You moved in together three years after you got together, you settled in with him easily. And in the beginning you thought maybe the flood of happiness you felt waking up every morning in a bed that the two of you shared would fade, but it didn’t. You figured at some point cooking dinner together in your kitchen would become routine, but every time he wrapped his arms around your waist while you were preparing dinner or he would step between your legs while you sat on the counter placing his large hands on your thighs, you were just as overcome with joy as the very first time.

Your whole life you never believed in soulmates. People just found someone they clicked with and made it work. But when you met Sid all those thoughts changed. Because you never met anyone who made you feel the way he did, not a single friend or ex could compete with the overwhelming happiness and comfort that Sid brought you.

When your family was having a reunion there wasn’t any hesitation in your mind over Sidney coming. Sure, you weren’t married, he wasn’t technically a part of the family. But it really only felt like a formality at this point, that piece of paper.

So you and Sid packed a suitcase for the three nights you were going to be away, giddy with excitement at getting to introduce Sid to your entire family. He had met your close family on so many occasions, but it was the distant relatives, cousins you yourself had only met a few times, that could get to meet him now.

Of course Sid splurged, getting a suite in one of the nicest hotels in the area. You told him it wasn’t necessary, that the two of you would be busy, wouldn’t be there that often anyway. But he insisted.

The second night you two got ready for an afternoon barbecue with your entire family. Your aunt and uncle had rented space at a local country club, a large outdoor gazebo, lawn space for the younger kids to play on. It was all gearing up to be a great afternoon.

“What if I can’t remember someone’s name? Should we have a codeword or something?” Sid asks, voice hushed and panicked as you walk along beside him, hand in hand towards where your parents had told you to meet everyone.

Coming to a stop you tug him to face you. “Stop worrying. This is supposed to be fun. Everyone is going to love you.”

And perhaps you shouldn’t have been so confident, an egregious error in assuming you knew your distant family well enough to make that statement. Because by the time dinner is over and a few drinks have been poured the conversations seemed to be taking a turn you weren’t expecting.

“So, Sid,” your uncle Max says, drawing the attention of you and Sid along with the rest of the group that was sitting around one of the large outdoor tables. “How old are you again?”

Sid clears his throat and you reach over, grasping for his hand beneath the table. “Thirty-three,” he tells him with a nervous formality of being interrogated by the police.

“And Y/N, darling, correct me if I’m wrong but you’re twenty-two?” You Aunt chimes in.

“Twenty-three,” you correct, with a force smile. “Almost twenty-four,” you add quickly, immediately regretting it, cringing internally at the childish way it had come across, trying to prove yourself to be older.

“Sid, you’ve never had any kids? No ex-wives?” Max asks, prodding questions he had no right to be asking when he had barely even asked about the mundane facts of Sid’s life.

“No,” Sid replies, a defensive edge to his tone.

“Hm,” Max hums, picking up his drink and taking a rather large swig. “Didn’t want any…or?”

“I…uh,” Sid stammers, rarely at a loss for words but now unable to form a simple sentence.

“We’re thinking about it,” you suddenly chime in. You feel Sid’s eyes on you, wide and confused. It wasn’t like you two hadn’t talked about it before. In fact, you had talked about it on a number of occasions. Early on in the relationship it came up as a general question ‘do you want kids?’. As things got more serious is became more clear that when you two were picturing having kids it was together. Discussing how you wanted to raise your kids, how many you wanted. And you had been thinking about it, just hadn’t brought it up to Sid that you were starting to think maybe you were getting close to being ready.

“Oh, hunny, you’re so young and he-,” you aunt begins, trailing off as she glances over at Sid.

You can feel your emotions building, rage coursing through your veins. “Like I said, we’re thinking about it. I know it’s a big decision.” With that you shut down the conversation, pushing your chair back and watching Sid follow suit, walking with you away from the table. Neither of you say anything till you get back to the car you were renting for the weekend, needing to get away from it all for a few minutes. Hot, angry tears filling your eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

You stare up at Sid, blinking away your tears as you try to put together what he was talking about. “You’re sorry? Sorry for what? That’s my asshole family, I’m the one who needs to be apologizing to you.”

“But this wouldn’t be happening with another guy,” Sid says, holding both your hands in his. “You shouldn’t need to be standing up for me like that. They’re also your family and I can’t put you in the position of needing to be at odds with them for a relationship.”

“What are you saying?” You ask, shaking your head as you pull your hands back from his, using one to wipe away a few tears before crossing them over your chest.

“I don’t know,” Sid admits, looking around as he takes a deep breath. “Maybe we…you and I-.”

“No,” you interject, shaking your head. “If you think my family’s opinions are going to change how I feel about you, about us, then you’re a fucking idiot, Sidney. I love you…so much. I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you because you make me happier than anyone has ever made me, I’m the best version of myself when I’m with you and I’m never going to let that go because someone thinks you’re a few years too old for me or whatever other bullshit people will criticize us about. And I really thought you felt as sure about this as I do, so-.”

Suddenly Sid is stepping closer, leaning down and pressing his lips to yours. It’s soft and tender and filled with a thousand words he hadn’t spoken out loud. Your arms fall from across your chest to around his shoulders, letting him pull you closer. “Marry me,” he whispers against your lips.

You’re silent for a second, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. “What?”

“Marry me,” he repeats. “I have the ring already, I’ve been thinking about asking you for months but it never felt like the perfect moment and this sure as hell isn’t the perfect moment either but I can’t wait any longer. Because I do feel as sure about this as you do and you need to know that now.”

You have tears in your eyes again as you stare up at Sid, only able to nod in response for a minute. “Of course I want to marry you,” you finally whisper, your arms wrapped tight around him.

#sidney crosby #nhl imagines #sidney crosby imagine #sidney crosby blurb #sidney crosby one shot #nhl blurb #nhl one shot

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whatifxwereyou · 4 years ago

Text

Ashes Chapter 5: The Three Day Hike

Pairing: Liu Kang x Reader

Oh, what was that you said about progress? Liu reveals what you could only guess and you reveal a deep secret that's been eating you alive. It doesn't go well.

A/N: I love writing you yelling at each other and then having deep emotional baggage moments Lol. I also just love angst, idk. I just do. It's fun to make characters hurt! Hope you guys are doing well. Smooches. As always, open to suggestions for nonsense.

First Chapter << Previous Chapter Next Chapter >> Chapter Index

A wall of shadow rose into the heavens above, melting into the clouds, and spreading darkness like ink through veins. Red light shone through the gaps in the clouds and the ground began to freeze before your feet. Kung Lao’s face was just before yours. His familiar long face, broad jaw, worry in his dark eyes, all things you missed so desperately. You touched his cheek and his skin turned gray beneath your fingertips.

“Wake up, Y/N.” He begged you and your fingers froze. Ice crackled over your palm and spread up your arm. “Please.” He grabbed your shoulders and you gasped at the feeling of cold in your chest, sudden and violent. Shutting your eyes tight you tried to breathe but when you opened them, you were in the little cabin, tucked neatly into bed, the bag with Kung Lao’s trinket in your arms.

You were alone in the cabin and trembling, so you pulled the bag closer to comfort you. A nightmare, of course. You’d had them a thousand times since he’d died but this felt different. Your hands were stained with ink and that worried you too. Kung Lao had been so desperate to wake you up and the imagery had been so obscure and yet specific. You’d suffered a curse of visions once, but Raiden had helped you through it. It had been worse when you were a kid but back then it had disappeared after a few years too. You’d grown out of it.

This hadn’t been a vision, right? Not in any way that you could interpret. It was just you missing Kung Lao and feeling guilty for living without him. Probably feeling guilty for sleeping with Liu Kang. And feeling guilty for making it harder on him.

Guilt. That was to blame.

You got ready for the day and slung your bag over your shoulder and stepped outside the cabin. The sun was shining and it was unseasonably warm. Liu Kang sat near the door in the grass meditating. That was much more like the Liu Kang you were used to. You smiled. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad. Last night had been nice. Even a little comforting.

“They offered us supplies for the hike. We should grab some before we go. Food at least.” You greeted him and he heaved an annoyed sigh and looked to you as if frustrated that you’d interrupted him. “Sorry-“

“I’m good.”

“…but it’s a… three… day….” You began and he returned to his meditation without hearing you out. Never mind. Bitchy Liu Kang was back. So much for that. You bit you tongue and decided it best to leave him be. There was no point in fighting so early in the morning. You were too shaky from your nightmare and had bigger things to think about than hot and cold Liu Kang. It was like he’d borrowed Kung Lao’s ego to make up for the loss of his brother. “Fine.” You went on your way. If he wanted to be a moron about it, then you would let him be a moron.

Once away from the intoxicating stink of Liu Kang, you felt much better. The people of the village were exceedingly kind and generous. You took only what you thought you would need for your journey and a day’s extra just in case something went wrong. Both you and Liu were resourceful so if you got into a pinch, you would manage. He’d trained his whole life for survival, and you’d gotten pretty good at it since coming to Raiden’s Temple.

You packed up the supplies and then thanked them again for their hospitality before heading out of town with Liu who was silent the whole time. He didn’t even say goodbye. It was going to be a long hike if he continued like this. You wished that Raiden would have just sent you alone. He had the foresight to know that it would be uncomfortable. Then again, you weren’t sure just how much Raiden knew of your complicated history. He was a god, what was he aware of? You didn’t know and you didn’t want to ask. You did kind of want to shake him and cry though.

Liu was infuriating for the rest of the day as if he were making up for being nice the night before. You’d fought about every crossroad. Fought about when to eat. When to sleep. When to take a break. What kind of tree was on the hill. Everything. Every time one of you opened your mouths it was a fight. He couldn’t be blamed for all of the annoying arguments. You were annoyed too and every so often you caught yourself saying things that you hadn’t meant to say in a tone that was far harsher than you’d meant it to be. You supposed one good conversation wouldn’t eliminate two months of snippiness and one wild night of passionate lovemaking gone wrong.

You tried to remind yourself that Raiden had known you were both grieving and had probably hoped that you would work through some of your grief together. You could picture him saying it. But you also could have strangled him by the end of that first day. On the second morning, you’d meditated on it and decided to focus on patience. You would try to listen to Liu Kang’s suggestions and come to an agreement with him rather than argue with him. But that only worked if Liu wasn’t picking a fight with you. Which he was. He was absolutely picking fights with you. Why was beyond you.

By the second night you were out of patience and had no grace left to deal with him. You had agreed upon a path that morning and he was changing it for the fifteenth time that day. You were tired. The more tired you became, the more aggressive he did. His attitude had drained you and so had the hike. So had the fighting. “If we go up this path then we can shave off some time.”

“Or we could get stuck again and end up backtracking for six hours and since you wouldn’t come with me to get supplies, we’ll run out. Then we’ll have to forage and waste even more time. Is it so much to ask that we just stick to the damn plan?” You were snippy again but tried to check your tone by the time you’d finished speaking.

“You can do whatever you want. I’m going this way.”

That was the problem. Your fighting was less like fighting and more him just being stubborn and obnoxious. You threw your bag down and marched in front of him to stop him from walking. That was it. The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. “What is your problem? What is going on with you?” He was taken aback, surprised by your harsh tone. “I get it, Liu. You’re grieving. But you know what? I’m grieving too and your attitude the last couple of days? It’s absurd. You’re being a child. A petulant brat. Here I thought we’d made some headway and then you double down on being a bastard. You have to argue about every single thing. Every single decision is a fight! Then when I’m right you just don’t listen to me! You march off and do your own thing, which would be fine if you were alone or in charge. But you’re not either of those things.”

“Y/N, I…” He was stiff. Rigid.

“It’s exhausting! You are exhausting me! So, please, enlighten me and tell me why it is that you insist on being this exhausting! Why do you keep belittling me and then going out of your way to make this journey so much harder than it already is? We used to be a good team, I thought. We talked, I thought. You even kind of look at me with a little pity before you just…” You clasped your fists and let out a sound of frustration and then felt the blood pressure in your head as you finally breathed. Oops.

Liu was looking down at you, jaw clenched and you expected him to yell at you and correct you on what you thought like he’d done all those years ago when you’d been sleeping together. Your heart raced again as he looked you over.

“Every time I look at you, I see how hurt you are. How much worse I make it.”

You swore steam was coming out of your ears.

“How the fuck is you being an asshole helping any of that?”

“Maybe it’s easier for me to be mean. To argue with you. Maybe it’s better than watching you suffer for the same reasons I’m suffering on top of losing my best friend. And having to remember that I lost you to him in the first place.”

“Oh, don’t you dare.”

“Then thinking about the other night and…”

“Liu, I swear. Don’t do this shit. Don’t. Just don’t.” You pointed an angry and accusatory finger at him and tapped his chest with each of your next words. “Don’t turn this into that. Don’t.”

“You’re the one who got all high and mighty and asked why. I answered.”

“I came to you.” You had not expected to have this conversation with Liu in the middle of the woods or really ever. “I came to you before I gave him an answer. Don’t you dare make me feel guilty about that. I gave you a chance and you were a complete dick. Like wildly…. A dick!” You stuttered in frustration.

“I was a dick, huh?” He laughed in disbelief, rubbed his hand over his jaw, then walked away from you. He returned and pointed at you and then with a smack of his lips he threw his hand in the air as if to say fuck it. “Kung Lao came to me before you did. So yeah, I was a dick.”

“Excuse me?” You did a double take. What was that supposed to mean? Some of your anger deflated.

“Kung Lao… came to me… before… you… did.” He spoke slowly as though you’d had trouble understanding what he’d said. You could have smacked him right in the mouth. “He was already head over heels for you. How was I supposed to compete with that? Asked me if I was working up to something with you since you hesitated to tell him yes. I was honest… to an extent. Didn’t tell him that we’d already been there and done that for months.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. He was asking to be slapped. Just the way he chose his words and the bite that he spoke them with. It took every bit of your restraint not to just smack him to shut him up.

“I told him I was attracted to you and I’d been thinking about it. Kung Lao asked me to step aside because he thought he could love you.” Liu deflated a little too. The anger he’d built had petered out. Talking about Kung Lao drained him. You were still mad but also shocked. You were lost between being floored by this revelation and furious with his behavior. “So, I did, Y/N. I stepped aside.”

“And you had to be a real dick about it, huh?”

“Yeah. That’s why I was a dick. I watched that one conversation completely destroy our entire relationship. Our friendship.” Liu shrugged and looked suddenly exhausted. “Kung Lao deserved you more than I did. He was ready to jump in headfirst and I was just… nailing you.” He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and looked away from you but there was something smug about the way he phrased it. Then it was silent.

Where did you begin. Surprised? Confused? Hurt? Speechless? He’d crushed you. You’d thought that you’d had something tremendous and then he had made you feel cheap and worthless. You hated this conversation. You just wanted to be mad and move on. Accept that this wasn’t working and deal with it civilly. But the reasons it wasn’t working were too complicated. “You really hurt me.” You managed but your voice cracked and betrayed you. You were mad, dammit! Don’t cry, brain! You wanted to stomp off yelling about how he had some nerve dragging this baggage into the middle of a three-day hike, but you didn’t.

“It hurt me too, believe it or not.”

This couldn’t have gone worse. You supposed it actually could have but it felt pretty bad. To find out that it had been a lie after years of repeating it in your head? You were devastated. And you had to let it go. You didn’t know what would have happened if Liu had asked you to stay with him instead of being with Kung Lao and it hurt too much to theorize because that wasn’t what had happened. You loved Kung Lao. Your relationship had been far different than the one you’d had with Liu Kang, but you’d loved him nonetheless.

“I…” You began when you realized he was waiting for you to say something, almost desperately and that he had taken a step closer and invaded your personal space. “I’m sorry.” You were though you weren’t immediately sure what for. You just knew you were sorry. Sorry that you’d brought it up. Sorry that it had come to this. “That it wound up like this. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” Liu looked past you. “You and Kung Lao were happy for a time.”

“And what about you?”

“Does that matter?”

“Of course, it matters. We were friends first. Even when I was with Lao we were eventually close again.”

“Yeah, well, I was pissed at first. Mad at you. Mad at him.” He turned his gaze back to yours and dared to step closer which made you instantly on alert. It was obvious now that this had been on his mind for some time. You hadn’t considered yourself that important. There had been plenty of moments where things between you had been unsaid. You had never known and had no right to his innermost thoughts. That attraction had never burnt out. Even now, you were torn between smacking him and throwing your arms around him. “With time I realized that all I wanted was for you to be happy. You were happy, right?”

That was a probing question and you hated it. You meant to say yes. You had been happy, but instead you hesitated. Had you been? Of course, not all the time and things had been difficult the past few months, but Kung Lao’s memory was one that you would always cherish as having been happy. “Yeah. Yes.”

That had sounded terrible and forced.

Shit.

You walked away from him and sat down next to where you’d set your bag, defeated. Liu stood awkwardly before tapping a finger against his leg as if deciding if he wanted to pursue this conversation or return to the uncooperative mess that he’d been before. He sat next to you, leaving almost no gap between you. You were either going to have to remind him of your personal boundaries or get used to him being close.

“What does that mean?”

“It doesn’t mean anything, Liu.”

“You hesitated like… in a really big way. Weren’t you happy?” He was watching you but when you turned to look at him, he turned away.

“I love…” You hadn’t gotten used to the change in tenses yet. It was painful to misspeak. “I loved Kung Lao, but we were in a weird place before this and I… I don’t know what would have happened. I can’t pretend I do. We fought a lot these last few months over stupid things. Over big things. Over nothing.” You teared up but fought it back. You were not going to cry in front of Liu Kang after he had been a complete ass for two days straight. “And then he died, Liu. And finding out was like losing a part of myself. Something I’ll never get back and must learn to live without. I don’t know what would have happened because that chance was stolen from me. And I won’t complain about it. I won’t… because you lost your brother and I lost… a boyfriend and there’s no comparison.” You hesitated on the words, and you hated that you were struggling to breathe out of your nose. “We’d been together for years but…” You drifted off. The guilt was too much. Did he really expect you to air all of your dirty laundry to him? And why were you? He’d been such a dick.

“But what?”

“I don’t want to say.”

“Did you do something bad?”

“That’s relative.”

“I can help be a deciding factor on that if you like.” He half-heartedly joked but even as he did, he groaned in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he rested his hand on your arm. “But what, Y/N?”

“I think I might hate you right now.”

“Don’t deflect.”

“Kung Lao proposed.” You hadn’t told anyone that. There was too much guilt for how it had happened. “Right before I left to run that errand.” Liu Kang shook his head as though you had doused him in cold water. “I told him no, not yet. I turned him down. I told him that we would talk more about it when I got back.” The guilt of turning him down and then having him wind up dead was unbearable. “I will live with that guilt forever. The look on his face when I didn’t jump for joy when he got down on one knee with a ring… oh I’ll never forget it.” You shook the image out of your head. You’d had nightmares about it on repeat. You should have just said yes and pretended it was a dream come true. That would have made him happy.

“I’m…” Liu Kang rubbed his temples then started again. “Why didn’t you say yes?”

“I meant what I said. We weren’t ready. We fought literally all the time. We had no clear vision of what our future looked like. We’d never talked about marriage or families or anything like that. On top of that, we were in a weird place. The tournament was coming and I… commitment makes me kind of itchy, you know? I felt like a villain, Liu. I feel like a villain. He just wanted to love me and tease me and be loved by me. That was it. It wasn’t more complicated than that for him.” You were proud of yourself for not breaking down into a sobbing puddle as you spoke. “And he died not knowing any of the reasons that I told him ‘not yet’. He died before we got to figure it out. That was all I wanted. Was time to figure it out. Time for us to just be and to figure out if it was right for us.”

“And now there’s no time.”

“Yeah.” You couldn’t help it. You were going to cry. You closed your eyes and allowed the tears to gather and tried to keep them from falling. Liu was quiet and contemplative next to you. You’d both thrown huge revelations at each other. It was a lot to process.

You felt like a monster.

“You would have married him, huh?” Liu broke the silence, somewhat bravely you thought.

“I have no idea what I would have done because he’s gone and I’m alone.”

“You would have made him a very happy man.”

“Maybe. Even if I had, I don’t know if it would have made me happy and that kills me.”

“Yeah, that’s the tricky part, I guess.” Liu leaned his elbows on his knees. “You would have done it.”

“Bold of you to assume after everything.”

“I know you. You’re a people pleaser, Y/N.”

“Excuse me?”

“Come on. You always folded when you and Kung Lao fought. Even with the big stuff, you just rolled over and let him have his way.”

“I am not arguing with you about this again especially not after losing him.” You’d had this fight before. Liu Kang had always tried to keep you from folding and stick to your guns. You had refused to talk to him about the personal stuff with Kung Lao but somehow Liu had always known when you were upset and managed to get it out of you. He’d always been there, you’d realized.

Guilt.

“If I had known it would end the way it did then I never would have once complained. I would have just made him happy for as long as I could.”

“So, what, only he got to be happy? You’re being ridiculous.”

“Liu Kang! I was happy!” You stared at him aghast. You had been happy. Most of your relationship had been incredibly happy. You’d fought and you’d been hurt sometimes, but that was normal.

“Yeah, except you weren’t sure if you were which is why you hesitated, right? That’s the real reason you turned him down.” There was that snippy tone again and you stiffened up as he grabbed your arm to turn you toward him. “At least have the guts to admit it, Y/N. Don’t fool yourself and definitely don’t try to fool me.”

“Fuck you, Liu.” You pulled your arm free.

“Yeah, that was probably part of the problem too, wasn’t it?”

You smacked him across the face and hard, then pulled your hand back to your chest, surprised you’d done it. He rubbed his jaw that immediately turned red and turned his gaze away from you, nodding his head slowly.

“I deserved that.”

You picked up your bag and walked away from him. You didn’t need this. You didn’t need him rubbing your failures and guilt in your face. You didn’t need him taking his complicated feelings and burying you in them. You didn’t need him making you second guess yourself. Kung Lao was dead. You wouldn’t dishonor his memory with this crap.

You weren’t sure how long you marched away for, but it had been long enough. Leaning your head back, you breathed, and fought tears that you knew you should just let out but god dammit, if Liu Kang followed you and found you crying then you would be furious. The last thing you wanted was his comfort right now. Besides, every time you got close like that you ended up naked and you couldn’t emotionally do that right now!

His comfort was double sided with guilt. There was no comfort for you like this. You leaned against a tree and held your bag close and closed your eyes. Sometime later, Liu Kang joined you but he didn’t try to talk to you even if you could feel him watching you. It took ages but you finally fell asleep, angrily holding your bag against your chest.

Next Chapter >>

#liu kang x reader #self insert #reader insert #liu kang #mk liu kang #mortal kombat movie #mortal kombat 2021 #ludi lin #liu kang/reader #liu kang x you #liu kang/you #fanfic #fanfiction #angst #romance #death #tension #grief #beauty through ash

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wastelandlovingscenarios · 4 years ago

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76 with danse and a f!sole, please! - “three times i didn’t return your feelings and one time i did.” 👉🏽👈🏽

in this house, we love and support danse. <3

did this turn out longer than i expected? absolutely.

prompt 76: “three times i didn’t return your feelings and one time i did.”

Danse:

the first time, he was injured, taking an unexpected shot from a raider camping on the roof nearby.

“you’re hurt. lay down.” danse hissed under his breath as sole pressed down on the wound located on his shoulder. sole had dropped the bullet on the desk nearby her, grimacing at the sight of his blood staining it.

“i’m fine.” he bit back the sharp breath that threatened to release as he rejected soles offer. “it’d be a waste of time if we were to halt for such a minor injury.” stubbornness. of course. it was something that the paladin was great at and it was no mystery to the people who surrounded him.

sole shot danse a sharp glare as she forcefully pushed him down to the bed. “and it won’t be a waste of time. a few hours wouldn’t hurt, you know,” she let out deep sigh as she caught the harsh tone painting her words, “you always preach about me taking care of myself, i think it’s time for you to follow that.”

as much as danse wanted to argue, he couldn’t deny the fact that she was completely right. everytime she refused to receive care or neglected her health and well-being, he was constantly on her case about it until it drove her insane. instead of talking back, he remained silent as his head hit the pillow under him. “glad we settled that.” she laughed and ran her hand on his shoulder, sending a shiver down his spine. he closed his eyes, feeling her hands work on his shoulder as she cleaned it up and have it proper attention.

he hadn’t known how heavy his eyes were and how exhausted he actually was until the warmth and tenderness of soles touch lulled him to sleep. how long he had been out of it was something he couldn’t answer but felt himself wake him up enough for him to hear the words that left soles mouth. his eyes remained closed, showing no signs of him listening, but every word imprinted in his mind.

“you gotta take care of yourself, danse.” the way his name left her lips made his heart flutter, “i love you too much to lose you.” he wanted to say something, anything, but he laid still despite the urge to do so. danse felt the warmth leave his face, and a blanket being put over his body as he pretended to sleep during it all. “not that i’d ever say it out loud.”

she didn’t have to say it out loud. he had heard every single letter that echoed within the room, leaving his heart beating and mind full of wonders. instead of bringing up the topic the next morning, he fell quiet and pushed it away to the back of his mind as if he was never listening in the first place. there was no room in his life for a relationship, especially over someone he felt no romantic feelings for.

or so he thought.

- -

the second time around, danse finds out who he truly is. in the midst of chaos, all the people he’s ever trusted had turned their backs on him without a second thought, shunning him out of their lives. the reassuring hand on his shoulder was the only reminder that not everyone had the same intention of doing so.

“danse, look at me.” she crouched down to his level, watching as the former paladin leaned forward, hunching over the bed. he had concealed his face with his hands to hide the devastation that was written all over his features. he didn’t acknowledge soles presence nor did he respond to any of her requests, much to soles distress. “danse.”

silence only followed after regardless of her voice calling out to him. with a soft sigh, she peeled off his hands from his face, eyes softening sadly at the distraught expression written all over it. it takes her a moment to keep herself together before she can properly speak to him. her hands travel to either side of his face, caressing his cheek. “i know it’s hard right now, and i know you’re going through hell,” he tried to swallow the lump in his throat, eyes glistening with tears. sole notices this but doesn’t say a word, not knowing what was going through the former paladins mind at that moment. “but i will always have your back until the end of time.”

as expected, danse just stares at her with distraught eyes and gave no response. sole doesn’t take mind to this and continues, brushing her thumb over his cheek soothingly, “it doesn’t matter if you’re a human or synth, it will never change how i feel about you. you’re the most important person in my life danse, and you will never be nothing,” she fights back the tears that threatened to spill, knowing she has to be the strong one in this situation, “you can push me down a million times and i’ll always get back up. you won’t be alone. you will never be alone.”

her arms snake around his shoulders as she pulls him into a tight embrace, her hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. “i love you, danse. i will always love you for who you are and who you’ll be. nothing will ever change that.” he doesn’t acknowledge her words nor does he return it back, but let’s a tear slide down his cheek as he envelopes his arms around her torso.

those words lingered a little longer than the last time it had left her mouth.

- -

the third time, shes deadbeat drunk, nearly to the point of blacking out as preston supported her, standing in front of danses doorway. he held a nervous smile as he tried to let the words down easy, “sorry, danse. she got a little carried away.”

he cocked a brow up, irritation clearly plastered all over his face as his eyes flickered to sole for a mere second. “just a little?” preston smile died down as he shrugged awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. danse let out a small huff, stepping forward to take sole into his arms, looking at the lieutenant before shutting the door. “i appreciate your assistance. have a good night.”

he carried her to his bed, laying her down on the bed as she dozed off, not far enough to sleep. she still had the strength to remain awake despite sleep calling her name. danse went to the kitchen and brought back a bucket of water and a towel, setting it on the nightstand near his bed.

“what were you thinking?” he chided her, wiping her face down with cloth gently, removing any signs of alcohol. “i understand that it is normal for you to consume alcohol, but this is unhealthy, even for you!” he didn’t mean to be harsh- danse was just terribly worried. out of their time of being together, he’d never seen her like this, only going as far as seeing her tipsy and whatnot.

he noticed the guilt in her eyes and instantly regretted scolding her. “ ‘m sorry, danse. i didn’ mean to make you worry. just needed to take my mind off things.” she slurred with half lidded eyes, “don’ hate me, please. don’ be mad.” danse sighed heavily, placing the cloth into the bucket. he looked at her, his voice much gentler than it was earlier, “i’m not mad and i don’t hate you. just don’t do this next time, it doesn’t benefit you in any way.” he hesitated for a moment before speaking up, “feel free to speak to me. you don’t need to go to these measures to ease your mind.”

she stared up at him, and for the first time, he felt his heart beat in a way he was unfamiliar with. “ ‘re you worried ‘bout me?”

“of course i’m worried. anyone would be if the person they cared about neglected their health.” he felt himself pull back, a blush creeping onto his face as sole grinned softly, almost childlike. he had seen her grin a thousand times before, so why did it suddenly feel so different now?

“ ‘m glad you care ‘bout me.” she happily whispered, “next time, ‘ll come to you if somethin’s on my mind.”

“please do so.” he coughed, tucking her in so she wouldn’t be cold for the remainder of the night. sole continued to gaze at him lovingly, and he felt his chest tighten at the sight of the expression on her face. “i’m here for you.”

“thank you for caring ‘bout me. i love you, danse.”

those three words filled the air again, only this time it affected him in some way. the way his face turned red, his heartbeat rang through his ears, and how choked up he became when he processed them was entirely foreign. he couldn’t tell if he liked it or not, but it certainly didn’t feel unpleasant.

“rest, sole.” was all that came out instead of a proper response. she hummed in approval before closing her eyes in content. “m’kay.”

even long after sole fell asleep in his bed, he remained in the same spot he was in moments ago, unconsciously admiring soles features as one question lurked in his mind.

why couldn’t he reject her?

- -

out of all the times he could’ve returned her feelings, fate decided for it to be this one. danse swallowed the anxiousness in his throat as he waited for soles return, knowing that she was a day late from the date she was scheduled to come home. he tried to do anything and everything he could think of- build a cabin, mod his armor, mod some weapons- but the more time went by with no sign of her, the more he began to lose his sanity.

she never returned home late, even in the craziest of situations she found herself in, she always came back on time or maybe a little earlier if she was lucky. then again, in the commonwealth you could never know. he bombarded preston with questions, growing impatient at soles absence and demanding answers he knew the lieutenant himself didn’t know.

“i’m sure the general has her reasons, danse. you can’t put her down so easily.” it was prestons way of reassuring danse that sole was perfectly fine and would make it home regardless of the dangers out there. danse wasn’t convinced, not one bit.

he lied in bed, staring restlessly at the ceiling at images of sole popped into his mind. danse missed her smile, her voice, her touch- he missed sole and it was killing him inside and out. all his memories led up to the one that always seemed to linger in the back of his mind, but never properly confronted due to his cowardness. suddenly, he feels a burning pain in his chest as tears begin to rise in his eyes, a soft sob escaping his mouth as it reverberated off the walls to remind him of how much soles disappearance had affected him.

“i love you, danse.”

and it hits him like a train. he shouldve told her everything he’s felt about her instead of trying to push it away and avoid it with every fiber of his being. he should’ve held her in his arms a little bit longer and told her how much he appreciated everything she’s ever done for him and how much she’s changed his life. this pain was unbearable; he couldn’t breathe or think right and the tears fell uncontrollably as his words came out strangled for no one to listen, “come home,” he cried, “please.”

and when sole does come home the next day, he drops everything he’s doing and runs up to her as fast as his legs could take him, nearly pushing down any settlers that dared to block his path. before she could let a word out, she felt his arms wrap around her as he pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his head into her shoulder. sole had been caught by surprise, nearly losing her balance as the man nearly crushed her lungs out, removing any air out of her system.

“woah, woah. whatd i miss?” she’d joke, wrapping her arms around danse, who refused to loosen his hold on her. once she realized he was trembling, she pulled away, holding danse on both his shoulders, a look of concern on her face. he looked terrified and it didn’t suit him well. “danse? what happened?”

and just like that, those destined words left his mouth before he knew it. “i love you, sole. i’ve always loved you. i’m sorry for not saying it sooner, i-i..”

sole blinked in surprise, a blush spreading across her face at the sudden confession. “w-what-“ she couldn’t even come close to completing her sentence as danse interrupted her, stammering.

“when you didn’t come home... i was so scared.” he cupped her cheeks gently, his voice barely a whisper. sole leaned into his touch- it was so warm and tender. “i was so scared id never see you again. i was afraid of losing you.”

sole took one of his hands and placed a soft kiss on his knuckle, “you’re never gonna lose me. i told you i’m never gonna leave you alone and i meant it.” she whispered into his skin, “i love you too much to do that.”

danse pulled her in for another embrace, taking in her scent as she wrapped her arms around his torso tightly. he placed a soft, gentle kiss at her temple as he caressed her hair. “don’t ever do that to me again.”

#fallout #fallout 4 #fallout 4 companions react #fallout 4 companions #fallout 4 reacts #fallout fanfiction #fallout reacts #danse #paladin danse #companions react #fallout+4+companions+reaction #prompt #fluff #angst #f!sole

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blouisparadise · 5 years ago

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Here are some great bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of June. We really hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!

1) Until You’re Home | Explicit | 1039 words

Louis lives in London, Harry lives in Tokyo. They make it work.

2) He Holds My Paradise | Mature | 1332 words

“What is it that you want, baby?”

“Your dick” Louis breaths out, choking on his own words, neck still covered by his boyfriend’s hand.

“And where do you want it, baby?” the Devil asks him, a satisfied smirk painting his lips. “in my pussy, please.”

3) Morning | Explicit | 1428 words

Harry and Louis wake up and have a 'productive' morning in the shower ;)

4) Let's Go To The Beach | General Audiences | 1489 words

Note: This fic contains no explicit smut, but since it’s omega Louis, we’ve included it. This is a sequel. Part one of this fic is #6 on this list.

"Louis," Harry repeated.

"Right," Louis sighed. "He tried to scent me."

or the one where Louis has a meeting with an aggressive alpha and Harry calms Louis down.

5) Sweet Relief, Pretty Please | Not Rated | 1840 words

Louis is drunk, sad and alone, and Harry is a wanker.

6) Hey Moon, Don't You Fall Down | Mature | 2574 words

Note: The sequel to this fic is #4 on this list.

"Make me yours," Louis opened his eyes and put his hands on Harry's shoulders. "I'm ready, alpha, always been ready for you. Since the first day we met, I was yours. Please," Louis gasped as Harry slid his fingers out of him.

or the one where Harry and Louis finally bond.

7) Nothing Like Anything | Explicit | 2614 words

Harry is bored of his frat parties. No one interesting comes anyway.It's always drunk people, grinding in the living room, strangers trying to catch his eye. He's about to leave, just to ease his pounding head when he sees him, sinful on the dance floor and suddenly the party isn't so bad.

8) Over Exposed - Part Two| Explicit | 2840 words

Note: This fic is a sequel to this fic.

Harry and Louis take a quick break from Harry's tour to attend the VMAs, then have a night out at a club.

9) Sweet Vanilla Cream | Explicit | 2896 words

Harry fights to resist his roommate's new omega boyfriend, Louis. Louis maybe doesn't want him to resist.

10) Take Off Your Glasses | Mature | 3742 words

Louis was enjoying his time, as he decided to spend his weekend clubbing, Louis knows no one in there, yet someone wanted to mess with him to know who's Louis the attractive boy in the black skirt.

"It’s Louie.. Sir."

11) Rose’s Fortune | Mature | 5055 words

Note: This fic contains no explicit smut but since it’s a/b/o we’ve decided to include it in this monthly roundup.

Omega Louis takes one of his siblings to the doctors (check up, possible broken bone or possibly injections?) and the new Dr is Alpha Harry. Harry is great with kids and Louis is smitten. Harry is smitten too but attempts to act professionally and keep his distance whenever Louis visits the Drs with his siblings or to pick up his prescriptions. But Harry realises there is no reason for him not to make a move as Louis isn't under his care.

12) Dare You To Move | Not Rated | 6060 words

The one where Harry falls in love with the omega who is the brain behind the omega march he joined.

13) Savage Garden’s Song Rules Sometimes (While Yours Always Reign Supreme) | Explicit | 6261 words

Note: This fic is a sequel to this fic.

The morning after one too many nights of isolation for Louis Tomlinson and his hot & dangerous boy.

Aka how insanely adorkable Harry Styles could be after a sulking episode. [wordplay edition]

14) I Can Feel Your Blood Pressure Rise | Explicit | 9292 words

"Hello, your Highness," Harry heard a familiar voice coming from behind him. Chills ran down his body as he felt the coldness of something sharp poke the back of his neck, "Turn around slowly or I'll hurt you,” the voice said in a teasing tone.

Where Louis is some sort of Robin Hood and sneaks into the King's castle, only to be fucked hard.

15) You Know What They Say | Explicit | 10323 words

Nice guys always finish last.

16) Teenage Dream | Explicit | 10333 words

Harry and Louis get reintroduced to each other by their friends. It’s an instant connection. Now they’ve just gotta get to know each other.

17) Move So Petty (You're All I See) | Explicit | 10548 words

Harry’s pretty content with his life. He loves his job- a veterinarian at a local clinic who’s already built up a name for himself despite his young age. He loves his gorgeous flat with its wide, open space and minimalistic, yet still homey feel. He loves his family who he talks to and visits as much as possible, not bothered by the long hours of driving to Holmes Chapel from London he endures multiple times a month. He loves his friends and his coworkers and his neighbors- especially Allison, the little old lady next door who brings him and Louis cookies on holidays and who always comments on how “strong and handsome you are, Mr. Styles,” everytime he sees her.

And most importantly, he loves Louis, just- maybe in a slightly different way.

18) When Tomorrow Comes | Explicit | 11111 words

The one where Louis is an Omega who has been keeping himself pure for his Alpha, Harry is a traditional Alpha focusing on his studies while he waits to find his bondmate, and Niall is a sneaky bastard who keeps borrowing Louis’ clothes and never returning them.

19) Smells Like Omega Spirit | Not Rated | 11769 words

Note: This fic contains no explicit smut, but since it’s omega Louis, we’ve included it.

Louis is an omega doing a test run on neutralizers for a class project. Every time he talks to Harry he smells completely different.

Harry is an alpha who can't figure out if he's going crazy or his sense of smell is broken, but all he wants to figure out what Louis' real scent is.

Somehow they figure it out.

20) You Kill My Mind | Explicit | 13181 words

Harry has always been ashamed to reveal his kinks to friends and partners alike. One day he meets a man who seems perfectly designed for him and they embark on a wonderful, sex-filled exploration journey.

21) In The Heat Of The Moment | Mature | 15743 words

When Louis unexpectedly goes into heat in maths class it takes him way too long to figure out why (it might have something to do with a certain curly haired boy sitting next to him).

22) Was In No Hurry, Had No Worries | Explicit | 21485 words

The year is 1999 and Harry can’t stop dedicating songs to Louis on the radio. Or the one where Harry hits Louis with his car.

23) You're The Smell Before Rain, You're The Blood In My Veins | Explicit | 21945 words

“It was him you talked about, when you used to call me late at night, saying you were missing your ex? Was it him, your important five-year long story? Was it him the person you had thought about proposing, one day?” Nick asks with a low voice, almost inaudible, almost like he’s talking to himself “He’s my boyfriend…” he whispers again, without looking up.

“I know! And you shouldn’t worry, because you don’t have a single reason to do so. He’s yours now, he’s with you. I really don’t understand why you came here, honestly” Harry says defending himself out of instinct, even if he has no reason to react like that. He just- just wishes for Nick to leave his room and go back home to Louis. Because at this point Nick has Louis and fuck, why can’t he just go fuck off for once? Doesn’t he have enough shit do deal with already? Does he really need to get into this as well? Right now?

24) Like The Earth Around The Sun | Explicit | 23600 words

The one where Harry bursts in on Louis in heat and things only get more complicated from there.

25) The Blood of Love | Explicit | 25273 words

Harry is a nurse and Louis is a painting worth more than a thousand words. As desire and darkness encompasses him, Harry has to learn the secrets of Thorne Hills manor before he succumbs to the mystery that surrounds him.

26) Habit | Teen & Up | 27095 words

In which Louis is a Donna who has a soft spot for alpha Harry.

27) Let Me Carry Your Weight | Explicit | 28633 words

Louis is fresh out of a bad relationship with someone who made him feel awful about how he looked. on his journey to better himself, he meets harry - the ridiculously attractive and fit personal trainer.

28) Robbers And Cowards | Explicit | 33237 words

A modern day Robin Hood AU where Louis and Harry (don’t really) hate each other but they hate greedy billionaires more.

29) Caves End | Explicit | 39711 words

The one where Harry has lost his future, Louis has lost his past, but maybe together, they can find a way through the dark.

30) Soaked In The Blood Of Angels | Explicit | 40867 words

The boy looks drugged, caught between a man who’s almost twice his size and a girl who looks like she wouldn’t even break a sweat snapping him in half despite her small stature, eyes closed and mouth open as he pants, arching up between them almost as if he’s trying to escape.

Normally, Harry would ignore it and continue on his search for someone to drink from, someone who wouldn’t mind his sharp teeth and rough hands. He’s seen plenty of boys like this one, ones who picked the wrong playmates, and if he stopped to rescue every single one of them he would have died from thirst a long time ago.

This one, though. There’s something about this one, the sheen of his bright blue eyes as he blinks slowly, looks around as though he doesn’t know where he is, the weakness of his hands as he tries to push the girl off of him and make his escape.

31) With Stars Of Brightest Gold | Explicit | 41109 words

Louis Tomlinson is the premier courtesan at the Moulin Rouge. In his dreams, he has always wanted to be a famous stage actor. Locked into his contract, he has little means of escape until a handsome duke promises him freedom with a romantic alliance. Due to a case of mistaken identity playwright Harry Styles is thrown into the mix, compelling Louis to choose between his head or his heart.

32) We Both Got Nothing To Hide | Explicit | 43811 words

Omega Louis has a secret nest. Alpha Harry keeps losing his clothes.

33) In A World Alone | Explicit | 50787 words

Harry’s breath catches as the glow grows bigger and bigger until he’s squinting his eyes and blinking at the sudden intense brightness. He closes his eyes, rubbing at them helplessly. When his eyes open again- he gasps, grip loosening on his bow as he gawks at the sight before him.

Because the swan is gone.

And in its place is the prettiest omega Harry has ever seen.

A Swan Lake AU.

34) Hunting Ground | Not Rated | 583658 words

Note: This fic is the third part of a series. Part two is #38 in this list.

Louis Tomlinson didn’t know how complicated life could be until he became a werewolf. And until he was mated to Harry Styles, the son — and enforcer — of Liam, the leader of the North American werewolves, he didn’t know how dangerous it could be either...

Louis and Harry have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Liam's controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan — and it seems like someone else might be too. When Louis is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Harry and Louis must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all — or risk losing everything.

35) The Wrath of the Emerald Eyes | Mature | 85205 words

His chin is grabbed harshly, facing the two deep green eyes that have been getting on his nerves for the past ten minutes. The smirk on the man's face does not vanish. The grip of his hand on Louis' chin does not soften, his thumb at the side of his lower lip.

His smile widens as he answers Louis' question, ''My name is Styles, but you will call me Captain."

Pirate AU.

36) Cry Wolf | Not Rated | 85205 words

Note: This fic is the second part of a series. Part three is #36 in this list.

Louis never knew werewolves existed, until the night he survived a violent attack... and became one himself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, he'd learned to keep his head down and never, ever trust dominant wolves. Then Harry Styles, the enforcer—and son—of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into his life.

Harry insists that not only is Louis his mate, but he is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Louis' inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as he and Harry go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf—a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all of the pack.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.

#bottom louis #top harry #blp fic recs #monthly fic recs #fic recs #blp #larry

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kasey-writes-stuff · 3 years ago

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Okay I’ve never really written angst before and I’m not good with writing things based of songs but I saw @httpskarlnap ask for a C!Ranboo fic based off of the song panic room so here it is!

Warning for- Nightmares , panic attacks , derealization , and heads being cut off! Please let me know if anything else needs a warning!

Panic room C!Ranboo

Ranboo is laid sleeping in the mansion but it’s anything but peaceful, his mind is being plagued with nightmares. In his nightmare and real life his hands shake as he hears voices as if he’s being surrounded by thousands of people each shouting something different at him but yet as he looks around he sees no one. All he sees is some torches that are almost burnt out, he cautiously looks around and begins to make his way down the dim hallway… As he begins walking he notices himself getting colder and colder, more fear starts to set in as he doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere he seems to be I. The same place he started just he’s now much much colder. He fiddles for his communicator and eventually finds it but sees it has no signal…

He grips it tightly both in anger and in fear, he’s stuck in a seemingly never ending but ever cold hallway with no way to contact anyone for any help. His only thoughts are to get out and get back to Michael and Tubbo, suddenly he hears a nearly ear piercing piglin like squeal… it couldn’t be could it!? His foot steps quicken trying to find some way out, suddenly he hears what sounds like tubbos voice screaming for him! He feels his chest tightening as he tries to run as fast as he can. He feels almost as if he has icecicles on his body yet he continues running, his chest is so tight he can barely breathe…

Finally he sees it! A light at the end of the hallway it’s so bright he nearly can’t stand to look at it! Suddenly he’s getting very very warm too warm to quickly, he feels himself losing conciseness but he still keeps running he can still hear Michael and tubbo screaming for him he has to keep going he has to save them! Just before he blacks out he makes it to the end of the hallway and then he blacks out… He awakes at he doesn’t know when he has no concept of time in normal dreams let alone nightmares! He raises up groggily rubbing his eyes, his eyes widen as he sees the site before him.

Tubbo is tied to a chair a bandana has been shoved in his mouth, Michael is in the corner shivering with a figure looming over him, the figure has their back turned making ranboo unable to see their face but the second he hears the first word come out of their mouth his brain is screaming to grab Michael and tubbo and to run, his breathe stops, his body feeling colder than it ever did while walking down the hallway! “Hello ranboo nice of you to join us hm took you a while though I figured you would get here much quicker… you know being half endermen and able to teleport and all”

Right as ranboo is about to begin berating himself for being so stupid the figure lets out a low chuckle “oh that’s right you couldn’t have teleported if you wanted to! I enchanted this place so teleporting takes away three hearts every time you try it and you wind up even farther back than you started!” Ranboo tried to take steady deep breathes as he stood and began walking towards the figure a new purpose sensing to fill his body upon the realization the figure had a hand on Michaels shoulder “Get your hands off my son!” The figure laughs softly “woah woah woah calm down me and little Michael here were just playing a nice game of patty cake weren’t we Michael?”

Michael sniffled in fear as he looked up to his taller dad “p-papa p-please h-help d-dada h-hurt” Ranboos heart shattered as he looked over and noticed one of tubbos horns was chipped and his legs had missing fur patches “Michael don’t worry I’m gonna save you and dada!” He began to walk closer Michael and the figure but he paused quickly as the figure suddenly pulled out an axe and was now facing him as he held the axe up to Michaels small neck “One more step and Michael gets it!” The small piglin squealed in pure terror “PAPA I’M SCARED!” muffled screams could be heard from tubbo and tears could be seen falling from his eyes

Ranboo took a deep breathe eyes narrowing as he attempted to control his panic “Dream… give me my son.. NOW!” Dream smiled evilly “oh wow yelling?! Good job ranboo you’ve come so far since I first found you! What’s next are you gonna actually pull your sword out and threaten me hm?” Dream blinked his eyes dramatically as he titled his head at ranboo as he spoke “because that would be just sooooo precious! Almost as precious as little Mikey here screaming for his dads to help as I ripped him out of his bed but it was far too late! By the time tubbo got to the room Mikey was gone and now he was suddenly trapped and brought to this same room! All while you slept so soundly that you didn’t even notice a single thing you didn’t even so much as turn once! I mean I had to practically drag you here! My gosh that was no easy task!”

Ranboo growled loudly trying to ignore the voices surrounding him telling him what a failed father and failed husband he is not even able to protect his own family! “Dream I am not going to say it again give me Michael now! Or else…” Dream snickered softly rolling his eyes “or else what? You really think you can get your sword out in time to kill me before I can chop sweet innocent little Michaels head off? And before I can swiftly chop yours off leaving tubbo to die alone.. and oh it’s his final life right? So once he dies sure you’ll respawn but Michael? He only has one life so you’ll be all alone left here for eternity left with the voices screaming to you about how you’re such a failure not just as a husband and father but as a friend and just as person in general! You’ll be left here trying to find a way out but each time you think you’ve found it? It’ll just be a room where you’ll be forced to watch Michael and tubbo die over and over again!”

Ranboos hand shook with fear and anger with each and every word Dream spoke… the more he spoke the angrier ranboo got… until finally a huge scream tore from his throat and suddenly the room was filled with dozens of endermen! They all looked to ranboo “Army….” He took a deep breathe as he pointed to Dream “ATTACK!” Suddenly they all flew towards Dream! Screams of pain could be heard from Dream as the endermen attacked him one by one! Ranboo quickly ran over and grabbed Michael hugging him tightly as Michael sobbed onto his shoulder, once he had Michael he ran to tubbo still holding Michael with one arm he used the other to quickly unwrap the bandana from tubbos mouth!

Tubbo gasped for air before managing to say “I knew you would save us!” Ranboo nodded quickly “I could never let you two die you’re everything to me I couldn’t live if I didn’t have you two” tubbo smiled softly and as soon as ranboo got him untied he wrapped his arms around ranboo clinging to his neck as his legs wrapped around him! Ranboo smiled in relief as he held his husband and son, but suddenly a deep evil laugh was heard and ranboo looked to the corner and saw nothing but mere ender pearls and a laughing dream “oh ranboo poor poor ranboo you tried so hard… you really did your best but…” Dream began fake sniffling before smirking “YOU’RE BEST WASN’T ENOUGH!” Suddenly like magic Tubbo and Michael were ripped out of his grip! And before ranboo could even scream …

It was too late their necks collided with dreams axe, ranboo fell to his knees unable to scream, unable to cry, unable to do anything at first all that could be heard in the room was dreams maniacal laughter, suddenly a few more moments pass and finally a ear currtling scream rips from ranboos throat! It’s so loud he can almost feel his volcol cords ripping apart! And that’s when he wakes up sweating beyond belief as his throat feels incredibly dry and sore…

A light turns on and in comes tubbo practically running to ranboos bed “ranboo?!” Ranboo let’s out a strangled scream as he holds his hands up “GET AWAY GET AWAY YOU’RE NOT REAL! I DON’T WANNA SEE YOU DIE AGAIN GET AWAY! GO AWAY PLEASE!” Tubbo holds his hands up slowly “Ranboo ranboo listen it’s me Tubbo your husband remember?! It’s me! I’m real! I’m not going to die I’m real okay?!” Ranboo slowly peaked out through his hands and saw tubbos hand out stretched… he very carefully touched it gently stroking it before grabbing it tightly and pulling tubbo towards him! Tubbo quickly buried himself in ranboos chest as ranboo slowly tried to even his breathing…

“I-I’m i-‘I’m sorry I- he… Dream…” tubbo nodded not needing a full sentence to understand what ranboo meant “shh shh shh it’s okay it’s okay the nightmare is over you’re okay I’m okay-“ suddenly ranboo took in a deep breathe his eyes widening “MICHAEL MICHAEL WHERE IS HE?!” Before tubbo can say anything a small figure clutching a stuffie can be seen in the door way… the figure slowly makes their way towards the bed as tilts their head “dada and papa okay?” Ranboo sighs in relief slumping back on the bed as tubbo grabs Michael swiftly pulling him onto the bed and the three of them promptly cuddling “papa and dada are okay buddy dada just had a nightmare is all!”

Michael titled his head pouting “papa had nightmare? Here!” He held out his stuffy for ranboo smiling proudly “stuffie always make Mikey feel better after nightmare!” Ranboo takes the stuffie holding it gently as he kisses Michaels head “thank you Mikey you’re a really nice boy” Mikey smiles brightly at the praise and tubbo smiles as well before softly looking to ranboo “so are you alright to try and sleep now” Ranboo takes a moment before nodding and pulling both tubbo and Michael closer “I think so”

And so with that the small family was back asleep as if no nightmare had ever disturbed their peacefulness

The end

#C!Beeduo #C!beeduo agnst #c!ranboo #c!michael #c!tubbo #dsmp angst

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venhedish · 4 years ago

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So I’ve had a MASSIVE block over this Mystery Spot fic I’m doing for the Wincest First Time Fest because darkfic isn’t super in my wheelhouse, but I finally got some words down and I’m feeling pretty good about it! I wanted to share this snippet since it’s been a while since I’ve had anything new to put out into the world. The whole thing should be up next week, hopefully!

CW for character death and just general dark themes.

Dean dies in the shower, he dies in the street, he dies at the mystery spot, and—worse somehow than anywhere else—he dies behind Sam’s eyelids over and over and over. Sam wonders if this will be his life until he dies, too. He can feel it coming on slow, his own agonizing demise creeping closer as a death by a thousand cuts while his brother accumulates tombstone after tombstone in the graveyard of his mind.

And this dream-state of living on pause and rewind leads to some interesting avenues of thought that Sam doesn’t mean to travel, but after a certain number of unrelenting Tuesdays, they just become inevitable. If Dean dies every day, if his memories are wiped, or if they never happen at all, what could Sam get away with, if he wanted to? Could he dare to find out?

His brother's mouth, spit-slick and shiny with dripping water from the tub in which he’d drowned, or his eyes, glazed and green and unseeing. Sam thinks about kissing him.

He's not proud of it. In fact, the thought sends him into a tailspin of depression and disgust that lasts through a straight week of Tuesdays. He goes mute, can’t articulate the klaxon call of wrongwrongwrong that curls sickly in his stomach. Dean asks the same thing every day, with good humor at first: Cat got your tongue, Sammy? until he realizes something is really, deeply wrong. You're starting to scare me, man. So Sam explains once, then again, about the deaths and the Tuesdays and the never-ending cycle, but that gets old, so he lets Dean scream at him until he’s blue in the face for the next couple of days, until Dean screams too hard and something soft and vital bursts behind his eyes. Blood drips onto Sam's hand where he lays in bed—a single red tear streaking down his brother’s face—and Dean collapses on top of him.

Sam forces himself to get back up after that.

But he doesn’t stop thinking about kissing Dean, about what else he could do.

They’re all thoughts he’s had before—down in the black pit of his desire—where he’s fantasized about the slick heat of blood coating his hands after a kill, or the soft, pretty mouths of all the girls who have sucked his brother’s cock. About how easy it would be to tear the wings off a butterfly, if he wanted.

But he’s not a bad guy; everyone has a place like that, a place deep inside them that they lock up tight and only drift to in those moments when they forget to keep the curtains drawn close, between wakefulness and sleep.

But he's in a dream now, isn't he? And in dreams, he can fly.

So he starts slow, deliberate – just a touch, pinky brushing pinky. Standing a little closer than normal at the sink, flossing at the mirror, leaned into his brother’s shoulder as the red of his own blood stains the string between his teeth.

I want you, I want you, I want you thrums just under the surface of their every interaction, more and more apparent, even when the day resets again.

He gets brazen, swipes hot sauce from the corner of Dean’s mouth at the diner and licks it off his thumb. Dean stares—at a loss for words—then the grill catches on fire, and in the confusion Sam loses sight of him.

The radio plays Heat of the Moment. Again. Sam opens his eyes.

#wincest #first time wincest fest #my fic #writing #mystery spot

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smalltragedy · 4 years ago

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* justice smith, demi man + he/they | you know gabriel de leon, right? they’re twenty three, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, six years? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to 1984 (infinite jest) by the used like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole waking up in a body as heavy as the dead, emotions always on the verge of spilling over - you laugh before the punch lands, the belief that every encounter you have will be the last thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is october 31st, so they’re a scorpio, which is unsurprising, all things considered. ( james, 21, est, they/them )

hi im just reposting gabe’s intro bc its been a very long time n im starting a little fresh hehe. yes i do regret the text color bt im not going back.

VIOLENCE TW

mini playlist.

ghosting ;; mother mother / roam the room ;; citizen / art of doubt ;; metric / thnks fr th mmrs ;; fall out boy / heart in a cage ;; the strokes / where is my mind? ;; the pixies / flowers grow out of my grave ;; dead man’s bones / 1984 (infinite jest) ;; the used / blister in the sun ;; the violent femmes.

statistics.

full name: gabriel de leon.

nickname(s): gabe.

birthday: october 31st, 1997.

zodiac: scorpio sun, scorpio moon, gemini ascending.

label: the icarian.

hometown: belleville, new jersey.

sexuality: bisexual (masc-leaning).

pinterest.

biography.

it’s only rly ever been gabe n his mom n the little new jersey suburbs that r always the same no matter where they go. they dn’t speak abt fathers or brothers or spain or anywhere other than the now, and how its constantly changing bt oddly the same.

his mom’s name is sonia n we love her. she worked a lot as a single mom n p much hs done everything on her own ever since leaving spain.

they dn’t talk abt spain bt we cn talk abt spain n hw sonia hd grown up partially there n partially in the states n hw she’d originally planned to live there forever bt the man she’d fallen in love with ws involved in some. high class dangerous shit n it ws safer fr them to part even if tht involved leaving everything she knew n loved <3

bt its like. ok. bc she hd gabe <3 n they dnt talk abt it so it practically nvr happened. n she tries her best as a mom n usually tht is enough.

they moved around a lot just bc sonia is a very. flighty person. anxious bt nvr seems tht way is just always. tense. gabe didnt think she ws capable of relaxing fr. a rly long time.

she wld commute 2 nyc every morning n after school gabe wld climb onto the train n by the time he got 2 her place of work she’d be just getting off n they’d get a slice of pizza n sometimes they’d go somewhere like central park or coney island (just fr the novelty) bt most of the time they just got back on the train home w/ gabe either doing homework or napping on her shoulder.

when gabe got a little older he’d sometimes skip school n take the train after sonia had already gone so he cld spend the day in nyc. he liked learning bt didnt rly like school. he nvr properly fit in bc of the amt of times they’d move so it felt like nowhere ws. right fr him.

got rly involved in. the punk scene as a young unsupervised teenager n tht led 2 a lot of like. shitty stick n pokes bt also a love of. very loud angry music n a sense of justice tht he held tightly in his fists. got mouthy towards bullies whether at school or in the scenes he involved himself in n started getting into a lot of fights bc of it.

during this, sonia ended up dating n marrying gabe’s stepdad who he calls craig sometimes bt i dnt think thats his name i wont lie to u guys. its partially a joke n partially purposeful disrespect bc gabriel does not trust a single man bt like. man. ‘craig’ is just an accountant. he’s fine he’s a good dude. they once bonded over like. the mets.

violence tw // anyways. when gabriel ws 16 he got into a super super bad fight tht ended rly. terribly n like listen. nobody died bt it ws just. it got blown up very out of proportion n gabe might’ve gotten expelled even tho he wsnt even the one who started it bt thts okay. ‘craig’, or paul, suggested tht maybe. a change of scenery wld b good fr gabe n b4 they knew it they were. moving to paul-robert’s hometown of irving, north carolina. violence end of tw //

he wld’ve complained more bt. fr sonia’s sake gabe kept it 2 himself. it made her happy 2 see them all get along anyways n like. idk he cld put forth tht little effort <3

bt honestly like. he didnt rly get into too many fights once they moved down here n even tho sometimes he ws like. ommgg. i hate this town .. its so washed up .. he still made friends n like. the only thing tht changed ws tht it ws a lil harder fr him 2 acquire illegal substances.

anyways. currently he hs a tattoo apprenticeship n is a professional piercer n like. he plays guitar n writes songs bt thts more of a hobby rn than anything else. mostly focused on paying his rent at port apartments bc as much as he. loves his mom he does not want 2 live with her forever <3 n thts okay!

personality & facts.

overall xtremely passionate person like god. feels emotions so intensely. every time he opens his mouth n talks abt an interest of theirs its just very like. u listen n ur like oh. gained 2 inspiration. thanks.

clings onto his friends p tightly bc he like. nvr rly stayed in one place fr super super long in new jersey so he nvr made very long term friends n now hes like. very clingy HLKDSHLKFSHLKDG also hates to b alone. subtle desperation behind interactions with ppl he rly wld like to be friends with.

like dnt get me wrong hes gotten into. sm fights bt thts mostly bc he cannot keep his mouth shut n he also cnt stand douchebags he like. always wants to tear them down prob bc he ws a victim of bullying. n u know what. we support him. otherwise he loves ppl bt esp if they hv similar interests 2 him.

like golden retriever who bites kind of. intensely loyal but at the same time is very skeptical. things tht good things do not last very long even though they’ve been doing already fr the last few years.

also bit of a nerd. they were nvr rly a big fan of school bt theres smth abt a good superhero comic tht draws their attention more than like. any english class evr. bt seven soldiers of victory? classic. big dc fan.

uh. very into like. hardcore music. hardcore rock. punk. if its loud n angry they r into it like so so much. hs sm tattoos is like. super covered in them its partially bc they work at a tattoo shop n partially bc they do not know hw to manage their money well.

ooohh u know what theyre. kinda moody i wont lie to u. very defensive like they dnt evr wna talk abt their past. has experienced Things n they do not wish to discuss them. will usually like. deflect frm conversations he doesnt wna hv.

in tune with nature. loves fkn taking walks. hangs out in the woods by abernathy creek n lilac ridge bc nobody rly goes there n its just. nice

tries not 2 take anything super seriously 2 the point where when he does take smth seriously its a little scary bc theyre super intense abt it. forcibly optimistic even tho on the inside he feels like a total pessimist. lots of. deep down insecurities tht he projects by attaching himself p firmly onto others. >.>

so so so energetic. can never stay still. always hs to be moving around. restless like tht. probably got it frm his mom. overly protective over the ppl he loves. probably got it frm his mom as well.

goes onto Tangents bt also divert frm those tangents n is generally all over the place.

always cold n always looks tired n like he hsnt slept in a thousand years n u know what. sometimes he just does not sleep.

oooohh theyre a vegan. totally into animal rights. devious little demi man beyond that .. loves horror n the paranormal n believes in like. every cryptic. will debate u on it.

erm not. the kindest 2 themself theyre a bit self destructive. impulsive. drives very fast n parties super hard. said i will hv my effy stonem moment. u dont hv to gabe.

bt ya! luvs oranges n reds n is maybe a short king. hs an eyebrow piercing n like. a lip ring i wont fk around here he IS living his best emo life in 2021. a little outdated on the trends bt thats okay. probably will tell u hes frm new jersey. its a personality trait. smokes the shittiest cigarettes ever.

wanted plots.

just ghosting along ,, dnt even exist 2 me ,, ;; god. firstly just the vast amt of ppl tht gabe hs like. spoken to romantically n then dropped suddenly. n then maybe like. one tht actually Hurt bt they cnt avoid each other bt theyre actively pretending each other doesnt exist n its. hurtful bc it ws like. actually smth nice bt <3 ykno FKLFSDHG

hey hey heyy c’maahn i’m just a little guy ;; n this is the vast amt of ppl tht gabe hs probably. pissed off n hs either fought or been on the verge of fighting just. unable 2 resist a good bicker-turned-duel.

just blistering in the sun ;; they cld b close friends bt also they cld also not b bt just ppl who. indulge in bad impulsive decisions with gabe. general bad influences on each other’s health n just. no good! party hard bt at what cost.

n also ;; like ... rly solid good friendships ... flings n maybe an exe or two tht either ended on good terms or just. horrendous, ppl they’ve distanced frm, ppl also frm up north, piercing customers, bt not tattoo customers bc im p sure they’d get fired if they were just tattoo’ing ppl willy nilly, etc.

#irvingintro #violence tw #(more of a brief mention)#bt still #jst reposting bc its been so long JFGDHFDSGSLFKG

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sambinnie · 3 years ago

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1. Happy Mabon! Every autumn, I forget that the darkness comes clanging down in a great rush in the mornings. One day, I am greeted by a pinking sunrise. 48 hours later, it’s so dark on my run to the river that I have to stop a passing runner and check the time, in case my disturbed sleep sent me dressing and leaving the house at 2am. This summer may not have given us those mornings where it’s so hot I can barely get out of the water, where those early hours feel like full silent days carved out just for me to sit in the light and wait for everyone else to wake up, where the only extra thing I put on to run home is my trainers — I look at my waiting winter gear, neoprene socks and gloves, head torch, two more thickening jumpers, hat, thermal mittens — but every season, every day, is beautiful.

Today we go early for celebrations, and the water is silky, and Orion hangs over us with his phallic sword dangling and Betelgeuse winking on one shoulder. The near-full moon spotlights us and I feel almost ready for the shortening days.

2. Hilary Mantel continues to be a literary god. How does she write with that clarity? How can I ever speak with her calm good sense and wit?

3. We have two main problems at the moment, as far as I can see. a) What we’re doing (“curating” our lives; twitter spats; purity spirals; division and isolation; wanting ‘debates’ that can only be won or lost; encouraging people to buy more things; trying to buy our happiness; letting marketers tell us how we feel about the world rather than encouraging major moral lessons from throughout the ages to challenge us on our weaknesses; refusing to accept that life is suffering; asking self-care to be a plaster for everything we don’t have) and b) what we’re not doing (joining together to stand against those with more money and power; protecting the people who have even less power and voice than we do as a matter of course; learning from history; protecting nature above all else; prioritising going for walks; learning to repair things and campaigning to make things repairable; having a basic belief in human dignity for all, not just those with whom we agree; accepting that truly, we are all different and no amount of shaming or disgust will change that; working to shape our societies, culture, economies, production, food supplies and communications around improving — not just sustaining — the air, water and land, and fighting to ensure all of those new shapes protect women and children).

Individualism has morphed into something so completely self-destructive that we’ve forgotten we need nature more than anything — literally, more than anything — and we need to unionise and unite and put aside differences and work together even with people we don’t like.

Because when there are wicked people in power, when it’s genuinely exhausting to think about all the corrupt, venal, toxic, divisive, false, and cruel things they have done since coming to power, those people love to watch everyone below pointing their fingers at one another, saying, You, You’re The Enemy, You’re The Problem, while corrupt populist leaders rub their bellies and chuckle at another promise broken, another mass death on their hands, another building site on a protected forest. Do you understand the stakes here? Do you understand that it’s actual survival? It’s not about being right any more, it’s not about besting someone in the argument. It’s about having decision makers who can not only ensure there is still food to eat and air to breathe, but that relations both within a country and between countries are built on care, and support, and compassion, and believing in human dignity. And while it sounds wishy-washy and hands-clappy it’s the schmaltzy, sentimental truth. It’s the only one, really.

If we instead continue to believe every single day that my feelings are the most important, that my beliefs are the right ones, that I’ve got to prove those baddies there are evil and awful and wrong, then honestly, what the fuck? If we’re happy to live in a country where hostile architecture is the starting point for all public builds, where we send refugee boats away from our shores, where affiliate links are a career goal, where we haven’t stormed the Daily Mail offices with accounts of all our lovely immigrant friends and family and had a huge feast together and compared our long and tangled family trees, then come on. It’s only a race to the bottom if we all keep running.

Because, pressingly, whatever the spark of a major global conflict — assassination, fuel shortages, hyperinflation, invasion — the kindling is almost always a populace fed pure hatred for months, for years, until they can’t even taste it anymore but are ready to spew it out again, and are ready to use another populace as the receptacle. And hatred is brewed up in silence and isolation, and in the ashes of bridges burned between disparate groups.

And on that note, I’m not a conspiracy theorist, mainly because I don’t believe governments are generally competent enough to manage Grand Plans, but it’s annoying that technology and social trends and culture have developed in such a way that no one knocks on anyone’s door for a chat as a matter of course now, that it’s a given that a ringing phone triggers anxiety, that it’s not the norm for cups of tea with your neighbours, that we don’t know each other’s neighbourhoods, that we don’t even talk on the phone, with live words and intonation and synchronised laughter, but in text, in WhatsApp chats, in tapped out words and symbols that we know can be screen-grabbed and misinterpreted, that we know are kept, filtered and sold by the tech companies. It’s not a conspiracy. It’s just a reality that every single one of us can choose to do differently.

Sometimes exactly the right thing comes along at the right time. All of us here watched About a Boy at the weekend, a film which is so wonkily weighted and oddly rhythmed, but a perfect depiction of everything I’m banging on about here. Hugh Grant’s character likes being alone. He’s happy that way. It suits him. It’s his choice. Then, between one thing and another, he finds himself drawn into a world of a suicidal single mother, a duck-murdering young boy, more single mothers, more tricky teens, plus exes and mothers-in-law and awkward support groups. And it turns out that actually, being with people is better. Being uncomfortable often develops you as a person. Constantly prioritising only yourself produces a waxen, pointless baby. Making shared sacrifices might just be the point of being alive. Remember that to be human is to be flawed. That no one is ever completely right, and no one is ever completely wrong. That the boring stuff makes us feel good, and the glossy stuff, if all we strive for is gloss, doesn’t.

If you want anything practical, here are the things that have really helped me over the last few years:

Writing a letter or email regularly to my MP, to CEOs of organisations, to anyone I want to communicate my strong feelings and how I’d like things to be done better. Tweeting eats your soul. It’s a horrible myth the media pretends is important. It really, really isn’t.

Inviting people to go in front of me in queues, in traffic, getting on to buses and trains. It lowers my stress levels right down.

Learning the names of my neighbours and people I meet regularly on walks and letting them learn mine. (I definitely haven’t just decided I loathe a neighbour because they cut a bird-hatching tree down in their garden on the last day of the year it was legal to do so. It’s fine.)

Joining a few political parties, and the closest thing I have to a union

Making something, anything — everything can be done with love, and learning to not get sucked into the capitalist conceit of having to make it perfect, sellable, exhibitable is a genuine gift to yourself; making a cake or a film or a coaster and not putting it on social media, letting it be ugly or serviceless and loving it anyway. I felt extremely overwhelmed the other evening, but instead of doom-scrolling I knitted a… I don’t know, something flat and woollen, and it helped to have my hands and eyes working on directionless introspective creation.

Trying to stop hating. Every time I want to tell a negative story in my head about someone, I attempt to turn it into something positive: how unhappy that person must be, what they must be missing out on. It’s so nauseatingly Pollyanna-ish, and of course it isn’t always successful, and of course every single day brings a hundred thousand examples of cruelty and injustice and wickedness, but the alternative only makes my life feel worse, so why would I indulge that?

Teaching myself the names of birds, trees, flowers, clouds and constellations. I’m still at the most basic levels on all of these, but the difference one feels in the world when you can name things — let alone use them and know their stories — is a very real sort of magic. (For that reason I hope to read this book very soon.) This episode of The Cut is also good on the wonder and power of learning the names of the weeds that grow in your nearest pavement crack.

4. Creating anything is always a gamble, isn’t it, but writing a book you actually like for once and seeing it slowly and beautifully sink to the bottom of a river never to be seen again is ever so slightly crushing. However, it turns out even Thom Yorke feels that way, so I am comforted.

5. I’m sure I’ve mentioned plenty of these before, but if you want some suggestions of where to find joy, here are my favourites from the last year or so:

I was given Lucy Easthope’s book, When the Dust Settles, for work recently, and I was surprised and delighted to discover the most uplifting, hopeful, human and rightfully angry book I’ve read in a long time. Do yourself a favour and preorder it. I bought this other book for my own birthday, gave it to a housemate to give to me, forgot about it, and was delighted to later unwrap He Used Thought As A Wife. Laughed a lot, cried twice. Marvellous.

Now even the youngest housemate here can recite John Finnemore sketches and sing the songs. Has also taught them various composers, gods, logical fallacies and gothic story tropes. Also v funny. Oh, Kate Beaton! Her two books (Hark! A Vagrant and Step Aside Pops) are a bit like a comic-book version of Finnemore, but swearier and sexier and utterly unsuitable for all the housemates who have read it and been educated about the Brontes, Katherine Sui Fun Cheung, Tom Longboat, Nancy Drew, Ida B. Wells, Sacagawea, and the Borgias.

Had to give Inside a restraining order against me for the sake of us all, but Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade is a masterpiece of writing, acting, sound design and optimism. Spy is dumb action comedy polished to perfection, and Yasujirō Ozu’s Good Morning seems like the inspiration for almost all US arthouse films since 1990, and is also beautiful, funny, thoughtful, and good.

Taylor Swift’s Evermore, like all brilliant albums, isn’t completely perfect. But most of the songs are. And Hole’s classic Live Through This is still just ideal for turning up very, very loud after a tricky day, for the enjoyment of any neighbours who may have hacked down a bird-friendly tree on the last day of February.

Watched both series of Liam Williams’ Ladhood when I had a week off this summer, and really relished the location, the intention, and the writing. More please.

Miles Jupp and Justin Edwards continue to be my comforting bedtime listening in In and Out of the Kitchen. Has it ruined Nigel Slater for me? Well, a bit, but no more than any of us deserved.

I thought this would be a book I’d mumble through the first chapter of, then let get buried in my To Read pile, never to re-open. Instead, I found Whatever Happened to Margo? laugh-out-loud funny, drily written, and full of humanity. Excellent Women has made me want to read everything written by Barbara Pym, a goal I am slowly but surely working towards.

6. I’ve spent the last few years trying to find hazelnut trees, and finally found a copse between a car park and a play area, full of nuts the squirrels hadn’t noticed. Now I’ve found them, the spell has been cast and I see hazel trees everywhere, on walks and on pavements and running along motorway slip roads. A tray of green and brown frilled hazelnuts now dries with the laundry. They are so beautiful.

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gloves94 · 4 years ago

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Kingdom of the Sun [Fire Lord Zuko] 8

Chapter Warnings: Death Story Rating: M Pairings: Zuko/OC Kingdom of the Sun MASTERLIST

Last Airbender MASTERLIST My MASTERLIST

"Mother…" Tsai paced around the guest room where her mother would be staying. It was past midnight and the shocking news of Fire Lord Ozai's passing had been a hard hit. "What are you doing here?" She pinched the bridge of her nose already feeling overwhelmed.

"It's not safe. Why did you come? Who's taking care of things back home?" Sanju removed her glasses and placed them next to the bedside table, a bored expression on her sharp eyes. "Your friends are terrible liars. Specially that bald boy." "You mean the Avatar?"

Leave it to her mother to have absolute and complete disregard for whom she was entertaining. Just a couple of years back she would've bent over backwards just to entertain him. Now she had reduced Aang from an almighty Avatar to an honest bald boy. How typical of her to be so unconcerned with matters that did not regarded her.

"I've come to take you home. Your brother and I need help running the paper," she said placing her hands on her lap, sitting with her back completely erect, lips drawn into an intimidating thin line. "I didn't mean to come to the Fire Nation, or to stay here for so long… Wait- if you and Mecha are here? Who's in charge? Also- where did my brother go?" Tsai asked, still a thousand questions running through her head. "That boy with the ponytail, he's quite brilliant," Sanju nodded closing her eyes for a moment. 'Sokka? Really?' The young lady couldn't help but be slightly horrified at the thoughts of Sokka running a newspaper. "Your brother is off with some girl," she added flatly. 'Mai, of course.'

"Mom," Tsai looked at her nervously twirling the fabric of her dress skirt in her hands. "What if… What if I want to stay here, in the Fire Nation?" She admitted looking at her with hopeful eyes. "Stay? And do what?" Her mother arched a judgement eyebrow. "What are you going to do here? Lounge around?" Again, three years ago she would've been ecstatic at the news. Hell - she would've packed her up and kicked her out of Yu Dao with a bidding away party. Now, however, she seemed unenthusiastic at the idea. "No," she drawled out feeling small under her mom's intimidating green gaze. "I'm going to stay and I'm going to help people here. There's much reconstruction to do, just like back home."

Sanju made a disapproving sound, yet her posture did not shift. "That terribly rude man has brought nothing but turmoil and more troubles since he came into our lives and still he can't manage to say a single word of acknowledgement to me." She uttered bitter at the lack of appreciation. "Mom," Tsai reasoned with her. "He's in shock, his dad just died." "Oh?" She poked. "His father? The disgraced war criminal whom he allowed to rot in jail?" She huffed with a glare. “It’s no surprise the coward chose the easy way out. Suicide…” She clicked her tongue. Tsai's shoulders slumped forward in defeat. Clearly it would be impossible to get through to her mother and even worse when she was in a mood. "You're impossible," she muttered shaking her head and walking towards the door. "Don't you walk away from me!" Her mother called out sternly. Her daughter didn't respond and exited the room. "This conversation isn't over Tsai!" She called.

Troubled, upset and beyond irritated Tsai worriedly made way to Zuko's room. She wondered if he was still awake this late in the night.

She slid the door open slowly. The maroon room was dark, and she saw him. Zuko was on his bed, laying down on his side over the bed covers. A single candle kept the room dimly lit. She looked at him with concern and walked around sitting on the edge of the mattress. She could see that he was awake. His gold eyes fixed on a particular spot on the wall. He hadn’t said a single word since they had both been informed of Ozai’s demise. Tsai assumed this must’ve been terribly hard for him.

Sure, maybe Fire Lord Ozai was an absolutely vile and disgusting man. He was a war criminal. He was solely responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Yet he was his father – and his abuser too. He was the man who had scarred and emotionally tortured for years. Not to mention the multiple assassination attempts on his young life. Not to mention how he had taken everything away from him, even his mother.

Remaining silent she placed a hand on his arms hoping it would bring him comfort. Unsure of what she could possibly say or do to make the situation any better.

This was a lot. Even for him to process and dissect how he felt. It was not yet dawn when a knock echoed through the room. Tsai turned and allowed the person in. In stepped in Zuko’s assistant holding in several parchments of information accompanied by two Fire Nation guards standing several feet behind him. “The physicians have determined the cause of death,” he said keeping his eyes lowered. Zuko did not move from his position. His glazed eyes simply remained frozen on that same spot on the wall.

“What was the cause of death?” Tsai asked turning to look at Nezu from her seat on the mattress. “Fire Lord Ozai’s official cause of death was exsanguination. An artery was pierced by a stab wound. Foul play is suspected,” he explained. It was then that Zuko actually moved. He sat up slowly his back remaining turned against the messenger. “How’d it happen?” Was all he asked. His tone dry of any sympathy he might’ve held for his father. The assistant cleared his throat pausing for a moment, “Uh…” He hesitated. “Exsanguination,” Tsai repeated what the man had just said. “I want to know how it happened. I need to know every detail,” he spoke in a rougher and angrier tone than intended. His gaze clouded with darkness.

The assistant stammered as he once again unraveled the parchment scroll and continued to read. “- Ozai a male adult of middle age, was found dead in his prison cell in the North Prison Tower on the day of our lord past dusk. The cause of death is considered to be exsanguination from a fetal stab wound to the brachial artery. Signs of struggle were present as the man was stabbed 23 times.”

‘Twenty-three stab wounds?’ Tsai’s mouth went dry. All this time she had assumed that the man had committed suicide, not that somebody had gone in and turned him into a slice of cheese! Whomever had done this- it hadn’t been a casual hit job. This had been personal. Whomever had done this had personal beef with Ozai, but then again, who didn’t? “This was found amongst his belongings,” Nezu said pulling a wrapped bundle from his pocket. Zuko finally turned to look at his assistant. Tsai paled in disbelief, her face resembling a pillow’s bed sheets. Instinctively she reached for her neck and realized the man had taken her sunstone necklace. He placed the necklace and other information on a nearby table. “We will wait until morning to let Lady Ursa and General Iroh know. For now, we will send notice to the other nations and begin the necessary arrangements for the wake and funeral tomorrow. That is all Fire Lord Zuko.” The man bowed respectfully before exiting the room.

Tsai found that she couldn’t move. She didn’t until she noticed Zuko swiftly move around the room and snatch the necklace off the table in disbelief. She reached his side just in time also reaching for it but failing.

He brought the piece of jewelry that he had many times held in his hands and brought it close to his face for further inspection. He looked at it in disbelief. There was absolutely no way that his father could’ve gotten a hold of the necklace by causality. She wouldn’t have carelessly dropped it. It also wouldn’t have been stolen without her noticing. He noted the torn golden chain and put together that he had to have ripped her off her person.

He looked stunned, pained, almost betrayed.

‘Could she have?’ “Did you kill my father?” He rasped bluntly, almost out of air. His eyes turned to her. All evidence pointed to her. It had been a personal crime, the stabbing fit her weapon of choice, the necklace was unmistakably hers. “No,” She responded calmly, “I didn’t.”

He looked at her hard for a moment. As if doubting her. He believed her, but at the same the evidence was too striking. What motive did Tsai have for killing Fire Lord Ozai? She wanted the entire Ozai Order to collapse and she knew that it might if their leader were to be gone, but at the same time why make it so obvious? Why slay him in such a notorious way?

It was messy, emotional, loud. Wouldn’t poisoning him be easier? Zuko knew that Tsai knew how to poison someone if she wanted to. Her knowledge in herbs and mastery of them would allow her to discretely do such a thing. Specially since she once mentioned she had accidentally poisoned her family.

He proceeded to advance to the next logical question. “Why did he have your necklace?" Zuko demanded to know. His hand clenching around the stone as a concerning anger, the one he was infamous for began to boil inside of him. "Why?" He pressed at her silence.

She thought of her actions on the previous day. Everything that had happened after finding the secret passage in Mai’s house and before dinner. She still remembered her conversation with Ozai and just how she had returned to the palace injured, soiled in her own blood and with angry tears threatening to spill. "I went to talk to him," She admitted the truth. Bracing herself for his outburst. "What?" He snapped just as she predicted. Why would she put herself at such a risk? Why would she got see that man? "When? Why? What were you thinking?!" He said incredulously throwing his hands up in aggravated frustration.

"I went to directly ask him who was working for him from outside of the prison walls. So, he bartered, he wanted to see Azula in exchange for information."

"And you decided to keep this from me why?!" He demanded fuming. His father was a Machiavellian genius. If anything, he had just been playing her. Where was Azula anyway? She would probably lose the smidge of sanity that she had left when she found out that her father had been brutally murdered. "I didn't want to worry you," she said frowning slightly. "Because I knew you would react this way, and then yesterday-"

"So you lied to me," he said wounded.

"No, I did not lie," she clarified. "I just never mentioned it." "That's the same thing Tsai! You lied by omission!"

"It's not!" She pressed failing to contain her equally steaming temper. "Did you really go see Mai yesterday or was that a lie too?" "I did," she almost growled out. "I did and I found her father is - was one of Ozai's most loyal followers, and I found a secret tunnel under her house. One that lead to a chamber with dozens of tunnels that are buried all under our noses! I bet that's how they've been meeting and getting in and out of the palace without anybody knowing."

His expression remained hard, eyes focused on hers as he waited to see how this was relevant to his father.

She bit back her lip and looked at him with large eyes as she got ready to tell him her story.

Xxx

Tsai had just escaped the tunnel system. She stood outside of the tunnel entrance she had just exited from. All of this time they had been meeting and sneaking under everybody's noses and nobody had batted an eyelash. She was getting close, closer to finding out who was leading this movement.

Gazing at the Northern Prison Tower from a distance fists clenched at her sides, she angrily made way to pay the former Fire Lord a vision. He didn't have the upper hand in this. She did. She stormed past the prison guards who all eyed her oddly as she made her way to the lowest dungeons of the prison. The walls growing hotter and hotter with each step until she reached the isolated last floor. A floor which was moist with mold growing on the ceiling corners, an unpleasant heat already made her skin glisten with sweat, this time she met him with her identity unsheathed.

She stood before Ozai glowering at the pitiful man who slumped on the corner of the cell with his head lowered. He simply looked up acknowledging her and the fact that his daughter was not standing next to her. "Deals off," she stated coldly.

A vile smirk stretched across the man's thin lips as he glowered at her with malice. He let out a noise that resembled a dry laugh.

"I'm getting close you son of a bitch," she glared threatening me. "Are you?" He cocked his head to the side and rose. He approached her with his shoulder's hunched over, his eyes never leaving hers. "I know about the tunnels," she grimaced which made the smile wipe from his face. "I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Can't wait to see how loyal those rats are when Zuko and I come after them." "Zuko…" He huffed almost humorously as he turned towards her. "My son is weak, always has been still is. I'm not scared of you; I'm not scared of him." She leaned forward gripping the bars of his prison cell tightly. "Could've fooled me," she said with a cocky smirk. Her body stiffened yet she remained unwavering when his hand snatched the opening of her tunic dress pulling her close to him. She could smell his rotten breath and see his snake like eyes hoping to intimidate. She reached for his wrist ripping it away from her as she stepped back, dusting her clothes off. "It was prophesized by the Fire Sages that my demise would be at the hand of my own son," he uttered, tearing his eyes away from her. "Yet even then he doesn't have it in him."

She had never looked at somebody with as much hatred before. So that was his pathetic excuse? That was this monster's excuse for the years of abuse he had inflicted on his family. The anguish and torment he had put both Zuko and Azula through? This was the excuse for the many murderous attempts as his son's life? For his banishment? A stupid story that the Fire Sages had foretold.

Her jaw was tightly clenched. "You monster," she managed through gritted teeth. "You're scared of him…" She said nodding with a determined huff. "That's why you sent him away… That's why you banished him when he was only a child!" She rattled the bars angrily. "You're sick and you deserve everything you have coming to you."

"Everything!” She banged the metal bars rattling them xxx "So you did it then…" He looked at her with hard eyes. A blend of uncertain emotions about the demise of his father and abuser haunted him. "Of course, I didn't." She looked at him with disbelief. "I was livid, maybe I did say somethings I shouldn't have - but I did not kill your father," she looked at him with intensity. He lowered his gaze. She couldn't really tell just what was going through his head. There was sadness in his eyes, hurt, betrayal, and more than anything confusion. "Did you?" She probed. "What?" His eyes widened slightly at what she was implying. "Did you do it?" She pressed.

"What?" Seemed to be the only word he could manage. "How can you say that?!" He rose a morose look on his face. One she hadn't seen since the first few days when they met all those years ago. How could she suggest that he be the one to do it? Zuko had just as much motive just as she did. Also, if Ozai and the Fire Sage’s prophecy was correct. Zuko would be responsible for the demise of his father. Something that had terrorized the former Fire Lord for years. "Because I would've done it… " she looked down in shame. "I would've done it for us."

She shifted on her steps before taking a seat on the edge of his bed, looking at him with a sad look. His shoulders slumped as his anger waivered. "I know he was your father, but with him dead… Think about it. What this means for your people, for the rest of the world, for us… Without Ozai, the movement doesn't have any strength. They can't support him if he's gone." "Don't be ridiculous," he shook his head. "There will always be another backer, it doesn't have to be him. For all that we know it could be Ukano or anyone else." He wasn’t wrong.

She looked at him dejectedly. Of course, he hadn't done it. He had also been preparing and setting up for dinner that night. There was no way he could've sent someone to do his dirty bidding or that he could've been in two places at the same time. She was trying to support him yet couldn't find the words or the proper most effective way to do it.

He sighed and took a seat next to her before burying his face in his hands hunching over in frustration. "Okay, calm down," She said placing an arm on his shoulder. She wanted to ask what the consequences would be for the person who was responsible. Tsai was certain that she hadn't done it. Yet- if her name wasn't cleared. She knew that Zuko wouldn't throw her in the gutter, but it seemed that the other Fire Nations - ones whom already held a certain distaste for her – if they even suspected her of being capable of such an atrocious crime, they wouldn’t even blink twice when locking her up. Even worse, they might rebel against their Lord if he stepped in and meddled. It wasn't the moment to ask for the consequences.

"Whomever was responsible had to have done this between dusk and when my family came in an interrupted." "We have to narrow down our suspects." He said exhaling a sharp breath and sitting up. "That's still a very long list. Honestly, it could've been anyone." She pondered on just who could’ve possibly wanted to murder. Ozai, and honestly the list was long.

"Think- who had the most to win from my father's death." He turned to face her. "Us." "Besides," He continued. She's silent.

"It could've been somebody in the Society itself. Somebody wanting to take over. Somebody wanting to incriminate you. It could've been your father, your brother or your mother-"

She blinked twice staggered at what he was implying. Why was it that her family was number one on the list of possible suspects? "What about you mother and your uncle?" She shot back a little offended.

"You're accusing my mother?" He said in the same touchy tone. It wouldn't be the first time Ursa killed a Fire Lord. However, it didn't seem like her style. Why couldn't she have just poisoned him instead? Aha! Because this time it was personal… Or maybe she wanted to throw everybody off her trail? "You accused my entire family!" She raised her voice. "My family just got here. Now, I know Mecha had this agenda to kill your father a couple of years ago, but why would he act upon it now? Specially with him already locked up. My mother on the other hand… Sure she has a temper, but I've never seen her hurt a fly, much less a person. I don't think she would've managed to get so close to be able to scratch the man. Whomever did this... It had to be somebody that he knew. Somebody that he trusted enough not to hurt him…" "Are you thinking…" he egg shelled wondering if she was also thinking of the same twisted being who could’ve done this.

"No, it's impossible. If this had been Azula's doing we'd all be dead by now."

Zuko turned the evidence on his head. It all seemed to come down to one suspect. "Tsai, I hate to say it but it all points to you," He realized. "What are we going to do when you find out who it was?"

"We can't have a murder amongst us," he said darkly. "It's not safe." "I agree." She says in the same morose tone. He's looking at her eyes fixed on the carpeted floor. "You don't believe me!" She says incredulously. "I know you didn't do it. I trust you," he beathed. "But the evidence- you can't tell me you wouldn't look at it objectively in the same way if it was lined up against me."

"But it is-" She says. "Zuko if you did it, tell me. Tell me and we'll figure out a way out of this."

He couldn't help but crack a smile, of course she'd be the type to offer to hide the body.

"We'll get to the bottom of this." He reassured her.

Both barely managed to catch a wink of sleep before the funeral the next morning.

Xxx

The distasteful scent of incense flooded the Fire Nation capital’s lesser temple. It wasn’t as stunning or grand as the Main Temple, but it was as old as the nation itself. Also, small, yet respectful enough to hold the funeral services of a former Fire Lord and a war criminal.

Tsai glared menacingly at the majority of men and women witch matching Phoenix rings that filled the room. It seemed that all if not most members of the New Ozai Society were present mourning their leader. They all sat near the front. Sharing smug looks with each other all wearing black.

Zuko sat alone by the front. Any moment now he would be summoned to the front by a Fire Sage to ignite the body as the ceremony required.

Tsai sat in the middle with her family and Zuko’s. Iroh and Ursa were there too looking quite gloom and sullen. Kiyi had stayed home with her father, seeing as the event wasn’t suitable for a child. Ty Lee and Suki were by their sides keeping a close eye on everyone.

Specially on Ukano, Mai’s father, who had a dangerous glint to his eye. Zuko was right, it almost seemed like he had been the one to step up to the plate of ringleader.

All members of the Society stepped forward all holding a single white flower and tossing it at the man’s open casket as they each individually paid their services. Iroh approached his brother’s lifeless body and lightly bowed out of respect, yet he didn’t say anything the rest of the service.

Finally, it was time for Zuko to step forward. All eyes were on him as he stood before the flowery casket. He stood frozen wearing his regalia. It looked like he was struggling to ignite it. Concerned Mecha elbowed his sister and nudged her with a gaze that seemed to say to go help him. She nodded and crossed the temple’s aisle.

If he ever needed her it was now more than ever.

She stood beside him and despite still being angry with her, he smiled weakly. She gave his arm an encouraging squeeze and swallowed a lump that had formed on her throat when she looked at Ozai’s stiff pale face exposed before them. The former Fire Lord’s body had been propped on top of a sturdy marble altar table.

Zuko ignited a flame on his hand, both exchanged a look before he shot it down igniting the cask. He stepped back looking at the fire that consumed his father’s resting body slowly. He was much too distraught that he didn’t hear the small clicking sound. It sounded awfully familiar… Tsai’s eyes widened in horror.

“Watch out!” She managed to push him out of the way. Before he could react, a bright light emitted from the fire before a massive flame exploded before them. Both collapsed to the ground, she covered her body best she could shield him from the abrasive flames knowing she’d be immune to them.

Horrifying gasps and screams echoed the temple as everybody rose to their feet some getting ready to rush forward to the Fire Lord’s aid, other running towards the exit only to find the doors locked shut.

Tsai looked at her family fearfully but before they could further advance to her, black smog erupted from each of the pillars of the temple as they detonated one by one. Cracks broke the ceiling as a landslide of concrete debris and steel pieces began raining upon the crowd in destruction. Zuko kneeled his eyes also turned in concern to look at his family. There was no time, he would never reach them. The ceiling was about to collapse!

He looked at Tsai who hopelessly reached forward before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her back to the nearest shelter – underneath the marble altar table on top of which his father’s body had been propped in just moments ago.

He winced when it came down. The thought of his family being crushed underneath the ceiling making his chest ache. Debris and ash fell around them trapping them underneath the small space beneath the marble altar table. Both coughed for breath and the dust and smog. He held her protectively against his body and with more force than he intended a hand over her head shielding from any collapsing matter. Her eyes were shut tightly, heart racing as she choked on a sorrowful sin for her family, for his family, Ursa, Iroh… Their friends. There was no way they had survived the collapse of the temple.

Moments later the havoc ceased, and silence was the only thing either could hear. No more screaming, no more pain. They sat amongst a graveyard. The space that they shared was completely dark, it was also tall enough for the two to be sitting up without having to slouch. “I think it stopped,” he broke the despondent silence that seemed to linger. She hadn’t even noticed the hot tears that had begun to stream down her face. “Our families,” she cried. The thought of everybody they knew and cared for tore her heart apart. He had to be strong, logical, reasonable as his eyes scanned the small space for a way out. There would be time to mourn later, but not now.

The only thing he could do, was hold her, close, a hand lazily holding her head. Mind racing a thousand miles for house as he processed what had just occurred. “What the fuck!” She suddenly spat; her voice angry as she composed herself and sat across from him. “How could we not have seen it?” She pulled at her hair. “It all adds up!” Her jaw went slack as the dots connected in her head. “How else would you gather the entire Fire Nation Royal Family and all of the New Ozai Society in one room?”

She exhaled feeling drained, the lack of sleep taking a toll on her soundness. “My father…” She pondered on her words. “The bombs, it’s his signature style. The Anti-Revolutionary Movement is behind this,” she said out loud more to herself. However, Zuko listened carefully. “I don’t think he killed Ozai. It’s not his style, he wouldn’t have been able to get close enough.”

“It makes sense,” Zuko suddenly spoke. His eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness that engulfed the two of them. “Him wanting to incriminate you.” “I guess you’re right…” She hugged her knees and rested her head on top of them. At this point she didn’t even want to think, she didn’t want to feel anything. She had no reason to believe her father was innocent when it came to this matter. Yet, something in her gut told her she was wrong.

“What are we going to do?” She suddenly cried out frightened.

“There’s no use in trying to dig our way out,” he said stretching out a palm and feeling the wall with sturdy debris, iron and who knows other materials. If a single piece was moved incorrectly, we might lead a slide in and both would be crushed.

“Great. Be crushed or asphyxiate,” She said in uncharacteristic pessimism. “It was a large explosion,” Zuko reasoned. “Somebody’s probably digging around looking for any survivors.” He explained more to himself, than to her, in an attempt to remain cool and collected. But what if nobody was looking? What if everyone was too scared? The only people that could save them were Aang and the rest of the gang and as far as everyone knew they were all in the Republic of Nations all the way across the other side of the sea. “It could take days…” Her tone dropped to almost a whisper.

Again, silence, no sign of survivors. Both shaken by the attack, by the terrible loss of their families. Losing her grip on reality Tsai let out a loud angry scream. One he had never witnessed before.

“I’m so angry!” She shouted making his ears ache due to the closeness to her scream. “After all of this. I can't believe my dad wins. I can't believe he dethrones the Fire Nation and destroys a movement with his anarchic methods. It's disgusting… I can’t believe we…” She trailed off, her eyes growing large as they once again welled with tears.

“We’re going to get out of here,” he reassured her, his voice strained eyes hard, as he attempted to snap some sense into her. “Come here,” he said reaching for her. She crawled to him and sought refuge on his body, sitting in between his legs.

“Calm down,” he whispered hugging her close to him. He stroked her hair, running his fingers through the long locks a gesture which he hoped would help calm him down as well.

She kept her eyes closed; nose pressed against the fabric of his robes. She inhaled his scent wondering if it would be the last time, she smelled it. Wondering if this would be the last time they would be in each other’s arms. This was ironic, life was funny like that. It was what he had always wanted for the two of them to lie in the same grave for eternity. Maybe that’s why he was so calm… ‘So this was how it ended…’ She took in a deep breath. “If anything happens…” She began, “I’m glad it’s this way. In each other’s arms. I hope our story will be immortalized when they find our bodies no longer with life still in each other’s arms,” she said morbidly.

He couldn’t help but smile a little at the thought. Then again this was the guy that actually proposed in a graveyard.

“Our story will live on because we will tell it ourselves.”

“How are you so sure?” She asked wiping away her tears. She moved away from him and he turned banging a fist at the wall of rocks that kept them locked up. The wall remained unfaltering, not moving an inch. “Because it can’t end like this! I won’t let it!” He said wrathfully striking it again and again.

Both still had so much to life for, so much to do…

Tsai didn’t know how long Zuko hit the wall for, or how hard, she looked at him with worry. He was screaming at this point, breathing harshly, his knuckles to the point of bleeding. It seemed that each strike came harder than the last.

“Zuko, stop, you’re hurting yourself,” she pleaded.

He didn’t stop, much too infuriated, much too scared to quiet. “STOP!” She reached for his arm and held it down. She reasoned with him holding him tightly. She couldn’t see well, but could feel him shaking, letting out trembling heaves. It almost sounded as if he was crying. “Stop…” She finally whispered.

She reached for his hands and he winced slightly. She could feel the jagged skin underneath her fingertips. His knuckles were wet, bruised and bloody from the repeated impact.

She held them close to her, sadly stroking them with her thumbs. “Here,” she said. She took in a deep breath and did something she had almost lost the ability to do. It took her a moment to meditate on her emotions. He saw that she began to faintly glow with the life the Sun Spirit had given to her. The light illuminated the room enough for them to see each other. He could feel the pain in his hands slowly dimmish little by little. “I love you,” She couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face, “And if there’s a life after this, I’ll love you then too.”

He let go of her hands and in the dim light touched her wet face holding it in place before leaning forward and kissing her for what seemed to be the last time.

It was then that there was an impact on the wall of debris that kept them underground. Dust filled the space, and both coughed for a breath. He held her close, protectively, bracing themselves for the impact of the rock slide.

"You're about to die and this is what you're doing?" Mecha laughed as he stood before them.

Both looked at him shaken up. Tsai had never been so happy to be at the end of one of her brother’s dumb comments or to hear his mocking laugh.

Mecha stood inside of a large tunnel alongside his mother, Iroh and Ursa. Both firebenders held a small flame that lit the way in their hands.

“You’re very wise to choose love over despair my nephew,” Iroh stretched out a rare grin amongst the chaos that surrounded them.

“Mom!” Tsai’s jaw dropped, teary, red eyes went wide in shock, her mediation becoming nonexistent at what she was seeing. The auburn-haired girl gaped in disbelief. “You’re an earthbender?” She managed to ask.

“Let’s get out of here,” The earthbender said curtly. Ignoring her question.

“How?” Zuko breathed just as surprised.

“Sanju managed to shield us from the collapsing ceiling by forming a rock shelter around us,” Ursa explained in a soft tone. Despite her calm demeanor her eyebrows were tuned up in a concern look. “We were very lucky.”

“Ty Lee and Suki are already outside,” Mecha added. “We looked around, but I don’t think anybody else made it…”

That meant- Mai’s father…

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold it,” Tsai’s mother spoke in a strained voice. The woman had both of her shaking arms held up as she held most of the collapsed temple up.

“Let’s get out of here!”

xxx

AN: Wooppp only 4 more chapters to go. (We all know what’s coming ;) ;) )

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fantastic-rambles · 4 years ago

Text

The Skylark’s Song [2/4]

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Characters: Hibari Kyoya, Kusakabe Tetsuya, Namimori Middle Disciplinary Committee, Fon (mentioned)

Warnings: PTSD, Mild Language, Violence [A/N: Depiction of PTSD may not be accurate. I apologize if this bothers anyone.]

Word Count: 1.7k

Summary: My personal headcanons of the (pre-canon) experiences that made Hibari into the man that he is today. Part Two: the development of his commitment to discipline and explaining his apparent state of constant sleep deprivation. [This may end up being a four-part story, lol. Or a three-part with a small extra... which I guess is also four parts. I hope you enjoy! xD]

[Part 1]

Ever since that night, Hibari had never had a good night's rest.

Other than the week that he'd been in the hospital, woozy from the painkillers that had been constantly fed to him and barely aware of the world around him, he'd never slept for more than a few hours at any given time. At first, the nightmares--the memories--would wake him up in an empty house, screaming for his parents who were no longer there, and then he'd spend the rest of the night huddled in the corner, flinching at every shadow. For a long time, he feared that the men would return, but as time passed uneventfully, he grew more convinced that they didn't care. That they didn't think a mere child could be any danger to them. And they were probably right.

By all rights, he should have probably been taken away and moved to an orphanage, but a distant relative had been found who was willing to become his legal guardian. They'd spoken briefly on the phone, eventually coming to an agreement: since Hibari refused to leave his childhood home and Fon had special circumstances that made traveling and raising a child difficult, a housekeeper would be hired to watch over him, paid out of the fortune that he had inherited from his parents. Initially, she would come early in the morning every day and leave only when he was about to go to bed, but his growing preference for solitude and independence quickly asserted itself, so that she would eventually only come in the afternoon when he was at school, to clean and prepare his meals.

In school, his teachers also noticed a drastic change in his personality. Though he remained a good student, the previously outgoing and energetic child became withdrawn, appearing as though he was actively avoiding his classmates. Any attempts to speak with him outside of his assigned schoolwork were met with a stony wall of silence, and the many phone conversations that they had with his guardian did nothing to improve the situation.

In fact, the only activity in which Hibari demonstrated any initiative of his own was in his new studies of martial arts. Every evening found him at one dojo or another, practicing karate, boxing, kenjutsu, and a number of other combat arts with single-minded focus until he could barely drag himself back home. The physical pain was a welcome distraction, though it was short-lived as his body accustomed itself to the new routine.

His devotion to the arts and strict self-discipline meant that he quickly learned all that the instructors in Namimori could teach him. By the time he started middle school, he was no longer attending the dojos, instead practicing with masters that Fon would occasionally send to him while developing his own style. Hibari also began experimenting with weapons, discarding the sword and spear as impractical to carry and bare fists as too weak, before he eventually settled on his tonfa. The metal was hard enough to be difficult to deform, they were easily concealed, and simply adjusting the force could mean the difference between injury and death.

He still saw his parents every night. But at least he stopped screaming when he woke.

For the most part, his middle school years passed without anything of particular note until his third year, when he joined the disciplinary committee and a group of wannabe punks started to attend. In general, they were harmless, just mimicking the types of idiots that they saw in anime and manga and mouthing off out of the mistaken impression that it made them cool. But it irked Hibari to have to tell them off every morning for their appearances and watch them swagger around like thugs. When they finally started trying to extort their peers, however, he finally had a real excuse to step in.

"Hey, c'mon, you've got cash, right? We just need to borrow a couple thousand. We'll pay you back later, really!"

Hibari had been about to return home when he heard voices coming from behind the gym. If there was a response to Kusakabe, it was too quiet for him to hear, but he hoisted his bookbag higher over his shoulders as he went to investigate. As he turned the corner, the sight before him turned him cold with rage.

Kusakabe and his friends stood in a loose half-circle, a few of them holding wooden swords, leering at the student they had trapped against the wall, a young boy who looked absolutely terrified. His bookbag appeared to have been upended all over the ground, with books and pens scattered everywhere, and Kusakabe knelt before him, his hand outstretched expectantly. One of his friends stretched, cricking his neck threateningly, and noticed the prefect standing there, shaking. He smirked, reaching out to nudge their leader and jerking a thumb toward Hibari when Kusakabe looked up.

"Get rid of him," Kusakabe ordered, and three of his pack peeled away, advancing on Hibari and blocking his view.

"There's nothing to see here, Prefect-san. Get lost, unless you want what he's getting," one of them snapped, and Hibari's eyes fell to the ground as his hands clenched into trembling fists.

"Hey, look at him. You think he's gonna piss himself?" Another one laughed, jabbing his bokken toward Hibari, who took a step back, to more laughter. But in the next instant, Hibari was lunging forward, the gleam of metal in his hands knocking the wood aside and slamming the boy under the chin. Before the other two realized what was happening, they were splayed on the ground, clutching their heads as Hibari stood in front of them, breathing heavily. He staggered slightly, as if he were injured or drunk, as the rest of the gang advanced on him, Kusakabe in the lead, their victim forgotten. They were cautious now, now that they saw he could fight back, and when Hibari's head snapped up, even Kusakube seemed to hesitate. There was a gleam of madness and bloodlust in Hibari's normally flat black eyes, and his stance as he lifted his tonfa in front of his body telegraphed experience.

Even so, they couldn't back down, not from a fight that they had picked, so they approached the older boy carefully, trying to spread out to encircle him. He didn't make any move to stop them from doing so, just standing with an air of watchful patience, like a predator waiting to pounce. The fact that he was outnumbered didn't seem to bother him at all, and he kept his eyes fixed on Kusakabe. His unwavering gaze seemed to make the younger boy hesitate, but at the same time, foolish pride urged the delinquent forward.

"Get him."

After a heartbeat of uncertainty, they rushed in wildly, fists swinging and getting in each other's way more often than not. And in the midst of all of them, Hibari's weapons flashed like quicksilver, falling with precise blows upon heads and joints until he was the only one who remained standing among the carnage, like some ancient god of war. The few boys who weren't unconscious were groaning, clutching where they had been struck, and their victim had run away, leaving behind only a few pencils and a snapped ruler.

Languidly, Hibari walked over to the leader, nudging Kusakabe under the chin with his foot to make sure he had the boy's attention.

"Try this again, and I'll break your bones. A third time, and I'll bite you to death. Do you understand?"

It wasn't a threat, but a simple statement of fact, delivered in a flat tone that left no room for discussion. He waited for Kusakabe to nod, then turned around and walked away, stepping over the bodies that littered the ground.

From his experiences with hot-blooded people, Hibari didn't expect things to just end there, but nothing could have surprised him more when he arrived at school the next day. The moment he stepped inside the gates, he was greeted by a shout of "Good morning, boss!" and he turned to see Kusakabe and his hoodlums bowing to him.

"What's this?"

Hibari watched warily as Kusakabe approached him, smiling while sporting a black eye.

"Hibari-san, you're strong, and you've earned our respect. Please feel free to use us however you want," Kusakabe addressed him formally, bowing again. Some of the other students were staring at them, wide-eyed, and Hibari shoved the punk away with one hand.

"I'm not strong. You're just weak," he snapped. "That's why you just crowd together with the others. It makes me sick."

But his words didn't seem to upset the other boy, who deferentially took a step back to give Hibari the personal space that he clearly wanted. However, for the rest of the day, they hung in small groups at the corners of Hibari's vision whenever he wasn't in his classroom, following him around like a pack of devoted dogs. It was irritating, and when they began to follow him home after school, he snapped again, beating them all thoroughly, even though they didn't even try to fight back.

Gradually, though, Hibari noticed that their one-sided admiration seemed to be imposing better order on his beloved school. Small incidents were quickly straightened out without his interference, and for the most part, the gang stayed out of his way. So he tolerated their existences so long as they avoided grouping up in front of him, using them as yet another tool to protect the discipline at Namimori Middle School and in town as a whole. He never dealt with any of them directly except for Kusakabe, on the rare occasions that he had to give them orders; even so, he kept a close eye on them to ensure that they didn't overstep their bounds.

His parents had loved the town, and so did he. Even though they had been betrayed, it was only because the authorities had all been weak: afraid of violence, dazzled by money, grasping for power, or any number of other reasons. Although Hibari intended to control them himself through the same methods, he had no intention of unleashing another pack of animals that would cause even more problems for others.

And on the day that he finally finished his compulsory education, he set out to settle the score.

[Part 3]

#katekyo hitman reborn #khr #reborn #fanfic #fan fic #hibari kyoya #kyoya hibari #hibari #character study #headcanon #mine

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we-always-hit-our-ass · 4 years ago

Note

Could I request something with Liebgott where you’re going through a tough pregnancy and how you deal with it together please

Author’s Note: Ohohoho- This request right here has me imagining things, like oh my gosh I was so hyped to write this. But oh dear, I’m actually... Really not sure about this one???? Idk why- I still hope you enjoy, lovely anon!

Words: 5.0k (eye-)

Disclaimers: Swearingggg also I made it Modern!AU because I feel like it’s easier to write than pregnancy in the mid-to-late 40s. There’s also just the teenist hint of angst so yeah-

Description: As happy as you and Joe were when you found out you were pregnant, you knew it was going to be difficult--who were you kidding? With stress high enough, one day the two of you broke out into an argument. However in the end, you and Joe knew that no matter what--the both of you will get through this together.

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Taglist: @deldontplay, @thatsonefishyboi,@noneofurbusinez, @meteora-fc, @gutsandgloryhere, @hihosilvers, @rayleighshughes, @floydtab, @wexhappyxfew, @sherlollydramoine, @meganthesunflower, @3milesup, @jamie506101, @sunflowerchuck, @softlieb, @k-websters, @punkgeekchic, @speirs-crazy-ass, @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant, @runtdrummer, @fromtheoldtimes, @liebegott

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The powerful rush of glee and joy washing over you that one fateful day was unforgettable, to say the least. Holding the pregnancy test in your fingers brought a certain kind of happiness to your whole entire being.

You and Joe had always wanted children, with your husband going on his cute rambles about how he wants to spend the rest of his life with you--with a few or more children along the way. The both of you always seemed to talk about the aspect of having children, it excited you to whole other levels and seeing Joe’s warm brown eyes light up would make it all worth it.

He would always grasp your hands in his, his mouth running a thousand miles a minute when the topic of children came up. The small action bringing a genuine smile across your face as you two discuss more about what it’d be like. The name, whether it’d be a boy or a girl, the new room, clothing, and oh so much more.

Your mind was always buzzing during those moments, scene after scene of your new life flashed between your head before a new one replaced the previous one.

Of course you noticed signs, like your period not coming up or tiny bits of nausea here and there. It’d been two and a half weeks since you and Joe had done things in the bedroom and when the signs kept on happening you called your mom. Every time you said another one of the things happening to you, the first thing that came to her mind was pregnancy.

Your mom instantly gave you all sorts of advice, telling you the do’s and don’ts--which you immediately took note of. With the call now ended, you decided to head over to a pharmacy and buy a few different brands of tests.

So when you peered at the test in the restroom, turning it over with your dainty fingers shaking slightly--you were more than antsy for the result. The anticipation was real and you debated on taking your time or immediately looking at the test to figure out the results faster. Not willing to wait, you chose the latter and you were instantly glad that you did. How two lines changed your life, the idea of it was thrilling. Something so ordinary when taken into the right circumstances truly can be remarkable.

Your hands were shaking uncontrollably from excitement. They almost threatened to drop the test you held carefully in your fingers and you raised two of your hands to hold it in your grasp. You then tighten your grip on it, your bright (E/C) widening larger than you can ever imagine.

Sitting there for what felt like forever, you brought your right hand to cover your mouth from squealing loudly because of sheer and utter thrill and happiness. You found yourself doing a little sort of dance of celebration, positive pregnancy test still in hand.

Ecstatic, you rushed to make yourself presentable and got up. You felt like you could’ve almost broke down the wooden bathroom door when you swiftly tried to get to your husband.

Attempting to not trip over your feet as you quickly padded over the hardwood floor of your spacious home, you found Joe in the dining room, tinkering with a few knick-knacks he found in a nearby store. With your breath hitching as you trailed your gaze over your husband’s features and admiring him, you almost forget the test you held in your hand. It was only when Joe cleared his throat did you remember.

“Do ya need anythin’, darlin’?”

His signature voice and accent snapping you out of your stupor and you nodded your head in response. To say Joe was curious about why you seemed to be speeding trying to get with him was an understatement. He noticed how you were out of breath and how you were clutching something in your hands, however it was obscured by the angle. He leaned to the side to try to catch a glimpse of what it is, but to no avail.

He stood up to walk towards you and as the wooden chair screeched on the floor but with the first step that he took he was stopped by your voice.

“I’m pregnant! I’m pregnant, Joe, we’re having a baby.”

Those words hit him like a dozen trucks, but in a very good way. Slowly his gaping jaw and mouth bloomed into a wide grin and he bounced towards you like no tomorrow, his arms hooking around your arms to spin you in a circle. Giggles erupted from your mouth as he gently put you down and you brought your hand up to show him the positive test.

With his warm honey eyes widening and his smile only getting bigger by the second. His orbs seemed to yell ‘we did it, we’re having a baby, I can’t wait to spend my life with you two!’ and you could see his brown hair bouncing with each energetic step he took around the area. The strands falling around his face, framing it perfectly.

“(Y/N)--Holy shit, can you imagine? We’re goin’ to be parents!” He had excitedly said, his hands running through his full head of hair, that beautiful beam of his never leaving his lips for even a second.

He could’ve bursted through the roof by this point, Joe really was excited and thrilled about the idea of having a family with you.

“I’m goin’ to be a dad,” pointing at himself then grasping your shoulders to land a swift kiss on your cheek, “and you’re goin’ to be a mom!”

“Yeah, Joe, that’s generally how it works.” You teasingly said, the test still clenched between your hand. You slightly chuckled but he just gave you a cheeky grin in return.

Your husband was just so pumped on adrenaline and internally squealing to mash together a clever remark like usual. You offered the test to him, and he took it up with eager fingers, and straight away he ogled the two lines displayed there. His beautiful brown eyes glancing between the test and your bright face.

You began, your eyes glancing at your stomach, “I just can’t believ-”

“That we’re finally going to be parents? Me neither.”

Your husband remarked, completing the sentence for you. He gingerly placed the test on the dining room table, the hollow clack of it echoing in the room.

You nodded enthusiastically, you felt tears of joy welling up in your (E/C) eyes and Joe walked over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist so he could pull you closer. Separating for a while, the two of you looked at your belly, the possibility of a newer and better future inside of you. It hit a chord within your being, how you were now responsible for the life of another.

Pushing the thoughts away, you gazed up and stood on your tippy-toes to press a kiss on your husbands lips as you pulled away, Joe snapped his hands to bring your lips to his again. Melting into his hold, you could feel his hand grasping your head cautiously. The sunlight is filtering through the open curtains, giving the room an umber glow.

This was exactly how you pictured you breaking the news to Joe would look like. And you treasured this moment, keeping it snug in your mind to look back upon. Closing your eyes, Joe rested his hand on your abdomen and you raised your hand to lay it over his.

---------

The first trimester of your pregnancy was a living hell. Of course you knew about the symptoms and all, your mom or any of your friends wouldn’t stop talking about it. Even when you weren’t experiencing it yet, the stories the people around you recalled gave you overwhelming amounts of anxiety.

So you did as much research, putting in many hours to look at websites and read books about what will happen during pregnancy--but nothing really did anything to prepare you when they actually occurred.

There was the morning sickness and despite its name, it happened all throughout the day. Either you’d wake up feeling like your head was banged with rocks and pans or you’d go to bed feeling your stomach was going to burst open. It was disorienting and the world kept on spinning you even though when it was in fact still. Waves of dizziness would hit you and Joe would find you heaving everything in your system into the toilet bowl.

Whether it’d be 2 A.M., in the morning or afternoon, or in the late evening--you found yourself kneeling on the cool tile floors as Joe soothingly ran his hand up and down your feverish back. The sickness continued for days on end and on the occasions you didn’t throw up or feel incredibly dizzy, you’d just lay in bed all day--thankful for finally having a break.

Joe was always there to comfort you and when your cravings hit the roof, he’d always try his best to comfort you and provide you with anything you needed. Every single time, Joe made you happy and you made him too in return. Relishing in the loving moments you shared together, the tough symptoms of pregnancy seemed to be a bit easier to handle when he was around. It was like the heavy baggage on your back was lightened, and it all became more bearable.

You also had to go to the restroom more and more, and you’d stumble in the dead of night heading there. Mood swings were another key factor of making you grouchy, first you’d be happy and with a snap you’d be crying or frustrated. You were easily annoyed then when you’d lash out at Joe, you’d immediately apologize profusely.

Joe reassured you that it was always alright, and the two of you would put it in the past. Of course Joe understood and never took your statements personally, but he too snapped one day.

Rolling your eyes that one time didn’t help that moment. Joe had just come back from work, an exasperated sigh leaving his mouth as he frustratedly ran his hands through his thick chestnut hair. Standing near the doorway you huffed, you did feel a bit upset that morning and while you were fine for most of the day--the negative feeling seemed to find its way back. You didn’t notice how tense your husband was, and while obviously stressed, Joe didn’t seem to voice it like he usually did. Still standing there with nothing to do, Joe finally took notice.

With a gruff he dropped his things near the floor as he took off his shoes. In a clearly upset tone, he began to talk.

“What’s your problem?”

“Oh you know… Just being pregnant.” You sarcastically said, obviously taking his different attitude and demeanor lightly.

“No, (Y/N), I’m serious.”

Sighing, you sat down on the big sofa in your living room. The small bump you had then still growing but not getting in the way.

“It’s the mood swings, Joe. God I fucking hate them so much. And just everything else. I’m always so tired, I haven’t been able to eat and when I do eat, I end up barfing it all out like some dispense-”

“Love, I’m tired too, but can you just try to tone it down a bit.” He sounded so nonchalant then, and it tore your insides. In your bitter mood, you took it to heart. Obviously if you had a clear head, then maybe you wouldn’t have acted so recklessly and impulsively then.

“Wow, why didn’t I think of that? It’s way easier said than done, Joe.” Crossing your arms, you held a slightly indignant look in your (E/C) eyes. It was really getting to you, and it seemed to be getting to your husband too.

Scoffing and crossing his arms like you, he hastily turned to you, “I was tryna help, no need to be so fuckin’ sarcastic. I’m havin’ just a hard time as you ar--”

Something inside you just broke, and all you wanted to do was to just yell at him. Looking back at it, you regretted what you had said to him. Thinking that if you just took a breather and ignored him instead of yelling perhaps it wouldn’t have escalated as fast as it did. You would’ve screamed at your past self and Joseph to just break it up, but what was done was done.

“Well, you’re not the one that’s pregnant.” You firmly said then and then that’s when it all went downhill.

“And because of that I don’t have the right to be stressed as well? I don’t get why you’re acting so stuck up. Calm down, will you?”

He really did have the audacity to ask you to ‘calm down’, the utter nerve-- Both of you were wound up after weeks of being pressed down by the stress and responsibilities of being future parents. You loved being pregnant, you were so glad and happy when you first found out. While it was sunshine and rainbows for the most part, some days were less than desirable. These happened to be one of those days.

Like a tight coil waiting to break, this was the breaking point for you at that moment.

“Calm down? I have to carry our baby for nine months, how about you try doing that, huh?”

“Can’t you see the I’m trying my best, maybe if you’d appreciate it more than maybe I wouldn’t be here wasting my time.” Joe responded, his mouth downturned in a sour scowl.

Rolling your eyes once again, you walked towards him, “Jesus Christ, Joe. are you serious? You’re being so fucking petty.”

You got up, your hands flying in the air. More than fired up, you stood your ground as you glared at your husband. His ordinarily warm and consoling eyes were filled with fury, his shoulders standing tall as his chest heaved up and down.

“Get a grip, (Y/N), do you even hear yourself right now? If I knew that you were going to be like this, then maybe I wouldn’t have wanted you pregnant!”

His words hit you deep, cutting through the rage and anger that had built up. Instantaneously, Joe’s orbs had widened and he wished that he hadn’t uttered a single thing when he saw your hurt expression. Staggering back you sat back down at the couch, a look of disbelief and sadness whirling in your eyes. The nausea you felt was stronger than any sickness you had experienced in the last few weeks, and you sat still in surprise and shock--the words still resonating within you.

They sounded so true… And you couldn’t but wonder if they came from a place of honesty.

Joe almost covered his mouth then too, wishing to take those words back. The ire he expressed melted away like ice on a hot day and he made his way towards you with fast strides. Still in denial about what happened, your anger had also disappeared and while hurt you couldn’t bring yourself to push Joe away.

You couldn’t even bring yourself to feel angry as you felt the familiar warmth of Joe’s arm wrapping around your silent figure. With all the previous vexation seething around just mere minutes ago, it was a miracle that you seemed to calm down so swiftly.

“Oh fuck, (Y/N)-- I didn’t mean it, really! I just… God, I was so insensitive.”

“Joe--”

“I am so fuckin’ sorry, how can you even forgive me at this point? Y’know what? You deserve every right to be angry, Jesus, I don’t know what came over me--” He resumed rambling, genuine apologies spilling over his lips like a waterfall.

“Joe, please--”

His brows were furrowed and you could hear his heart thumping with him pressed so closely against you. Trying to get his attention by tugging on his shirt, he was far too busy spouting ‘sorries’ and you smiled kindly at him before speaking just a tad firmer.

“No, I need to apologize, I was being a huge dick--”

“Please, Joe. Just… Stop.”

Clearing his throat just a bit, he stared at you with wide doe eyes. His back then stood straighter like a fresh candle wick, his attention all put on you.

“Yes, love...?” Finally giving in, he quieted down and replied. It was quiet--his voice. It was so soft and not at all like the fiery and passionate Joe you loved, this tender and intimate side of him hidden so well from the world only for you to see.

The palms of your hands rubbed your raw eyes trying to prevent tears from spilling out from them. Hiccuping and feeling your chest becoming heavy, you dove into the deep pool of his amorous embrace, it immediately brought you a consolation that made your heart sing. The brunet man cooed in your ear, reassuring you and softly goading you to tell him your worries without even having to speak a syllable.

“I’m just so stressed. I thought I was all this and all that when in reality, I’m not. And all of these symptoms, Joe, they’re getting to me. The first few weeks were fine, I expected that. But then it just kept on going and it’s all so exhausting… I just thought that… I’d be strong enough to take it.”

Nodding solemnly at your statement, Joe tucked your hair behind your ears, giving him a clear view of your face. He understood your words, and he let it sink deep within him. Joe was a sympathetic guy, even if he doesn’t admit sometimes. So he got up from the couch, telling you to wait for a moment.

Joe left the room, his footsteps growing quieter and the ticking of the wall clock was all that accompanied you. He returned, the big and fluffy comforter that occupied your bed in his arms. He laid it over your back, the soft material enveloping you and him as the two of you got under it.

Joe settled in, his hand placed flush against your baby bump, “You’re strong, (Y/N). You’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever met.”

You retaliated, “But you’re a soldier, Joe! I’m just… Me.”

“Exactly! You’re (Y/N)--the same woman I fell in love with, the same woman that can get through any obstacle, the same woman who I want to spend my entire life with.” The hurtful words he had said barely had an effect on you now, and your gleaming grin made Joe reciprocate the action.

“We can get through this, I know we can. I’ll be here for you all the way. It’ll all be worth it, (Y/N), believe me.” Scooping up your hand in his, he cradled it compassionately.

“You really think that?” Voice still slightly quavering, you hopefully looked up at Joe as you inquired him.

“Of course I do. What kind of husband would I be if I didn’t?”

Focusing your (E/C) orbs at his warm sepia ones, it seemed as if you two had silently forgiven each other. You two are both willing to easily put it all behind you, for the sake of your baby and your relationship. Letting go of the words he had just spoken, you compassionately wrapped your arms around him, Joe returning the favor.

You two will be alright, you kept thinking. You two will be alright.

---------

In a way, that argument you had with Joe made your relationship stronger and harder to crumble. When in face with difficult tasks, the both of you would come help the other and continue to face the obstacle side by side. The symptoms still pursued and hung around, but so did Joe. He continued to take care of you, always promising to get you what you need. Joe really was sweet, and you could daydream for hours about just how good of a father he’ll be.

The mood swings you had were showing up less frequently but the cravings skyrocketed. You really didn’t want to bother him by asking but he had insisted constantly. Of course it was no surprise that he constantly brought Hershey bars, he’d show that same cheeky smirk as he’d pull out a few bars from behind his back.

If you were tired, for example, those sleepless nights being the bane of your existence--your husband would lay you gently on his lap while running his long fingers through your scalp. Countless nights were spent tossing and turning and no matter what position you laid in, you couldn’t sleep. Sighs of content would leave your lips and you would melt like butter right then and there.

Other nights when you couldn’t even get a single blink of sleep, Joe would tell you fun little stories about his friends, sometimes obscure subjects. He talked about his passion for being a barber and Joe never failed to make it all sound so interesting.

Though undoubtedly, your favorite talks when you couldn’t seem to rest were the talks when he gushed about his future with you. He’d make up all these scenarios and he just seemed so truly happy when he went on and on about the endless possibilities.

Joe talked about how you two would decorate the room, asking you ever so often what you would like to put in it. Then he’d go on about the clothes you’d buy for your child, and all the seemingly regular things were turned into something magical.

Pausing, he would glance down at you with a sheepish laugh, “God, i’m bein’ sappy, aren’t I?”

“Joseph D. Liebgott, I find it very adorable that you’re being sappy right now.”

“Thank goodness, as I was sayin’--”

You lay there starry-eyed, both your hands laying on top of your stomach as his voice would relax your stiff muscles. Even after going on for hours, he still had more to say but by then you’d already have fallen asleep.

Joe would look down, pausing for a moment and his eyes would soften as he took in your dozing being. Sparing one last chaste kiss on your lips, he whispers a ‘good night’ before spooning you comfortably until the morning comes.

The morning sickness had faded away and was growing sparse as your pregnancy continued and you’d never been more glad. They did show up here and there a few times, but not at all like the constant waves of dizziness and vomiting that you had during the first few weeks. Joe comforted you throughout the whole thing, he even offered to set up a movie night every time you became upset just so he could cheer you up.

Sitting down, you recalled that moment 4 months ago, where you had revealed to your husband that you were pregnant. The bump was more prominent, stretching your shirts. You carefully plopped yourself on the sofa, taking attentive notice of your belly. A sigh released your lips and every so often you casted your eyes downwards. While you were never a really reckless person in the first place, you were noticeably way more cautious than you used to be. How could you not? You were now carrying a baby.

The days quickly went by and before you knew it, here you were.

“Have you thought of a name yet, (Y/N)?” Your husband asked you from across the room, his voice raised louder as to catch your attention because of the distance.

“They’re not even born yet, you really are impatient aren’t you?” Playfully scoffing at Joe’s words, you said and questioned, one eyebrow raising up teasingly at the brunet man.

Your hands glided over your stomach, the slight bump then not even comparing to the baby bump you had now. Your eyes softened when you ran your palms on your stomach, your eyelids lowering as you gently caressed it. You truly did feel like the luckiest woman in the world at that short moment in your home.

“I can’t help it, okay! It’s a baby, our baby.” Joe had quickly replied, his leg bouncing up and down at the speed of light. The ‘our’ was enunciated, sending a warm and welcoming feeling to your chest.

“Well, I was thinking about ‘Gabriel’. Y’know--like the angel.” You answered, your hands as your deft fingers still absentmindedly caressing your stomach as you gazed upon the back-turned head of your husband.

“Gabriel… Gabriel,” your husband repeated, testing it out on his tongue. After a few more attempts he turns to meet your stare, a pondering expression ingrained on his face. “I like that name; Gabriel…” He trailed off once again before giving you an electrified smile which lit up the whole room.

Turning to your direction once again Joe asked, “Well what happens if it’s a girl?”

Biting down at your bottom lip at the thought, you pondered hard. What would you name her? Digging deep into the back of your mind, you tried to figure out which name caught your attention. Letting your mind run, you were stopped in your tracks when Joe softly called out your name.

“What about ‘Celine’?” Joe softly inquired and the corners of your lips turned upward at the name.

“Celine and Gabriel, don’t those two sound pretty?”

“When our baby is born, (Y/N), I can see where they’ll got their beauty from.”

With your cheeks warming up, you turned away while grinning as Joe smiled. Looking at the time, you cast a glance at the calendar on the wall. The bright red letters in Joe’s handwriting sprawled out on a square, stating ‘Doctor’s Appointment’. Joe even went to put it a little more effort and drew a simple baby face.

Getting on your feet slowly, your husband stretched out his arms to grab yours to instantly ensure your stability. The drive to the hospital was filled with questions as Joe repeatedly wanted to ask you about how you’ve been feeling. It was the usual cravings, cramps, and sickness, you had told him as he nodded in understanding.

The two of you made sure to constantly visit the doctor’s, getting weekly updates about your pregnancy really was exciting. You would fiddle with the hem of your top, nervously chewing at your lip. Joe held your hand comfortably, sometimes reaching to put loose strands of hair between your ears. Your nerves never settled though and they only went haywire when the doctor had called your names.

Waiting in the bright white room made your mind race and shut down at the same time. Occasionally you would space out, your eyes focusing on nothing really peculiar as your mind muffled any sounds around you. The doctor came in, introducing himself and explaining the ultrasound process. There he took you to a different room where you saw the ultrasound machine and chair where you’d lie on, you quickly grabbed Joe’s hand.

Squeezing back, he leaned down slightly to give you a brief peck on the top of your head.

Listening to the doctor, you laid back on the examination table and pulled up your top to reveal the four month baby bump. The process was quick and quite obviously painless, the entire procedure only taking about 30 minutes. The ultrasound showing up on the computer right beside you made you excited to see the results.

Fixing yourself, the doctor had told you to wait in the room as they examined the results. Joe sitting beside you, he lifted his arm and ushered you close to his side and he closed it around you--pulling you in.

The door to the room opened and there revealed your doctor with a professional yet welcoming grin on her face.

“Well, we got the results back from the ultrasound, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” She had said, taking a seat next to you. The words ‘results’ and ‘ultrasounds’ made your heart do flips and somersaults, Joe next to you also giving you a knowing glance.

“Starting things off, your baby is very healthy and we didn’t pick up any complications. The heart rate is good and we see no physical abnormalities whatsoever.”

Grinning with each word, you excitedly looked to Joe, who was already looking your way. The doctor’s nimble fingers dashed on the keyboard, showing you the black and white images of the baby inside of you. Your eyebrows were raised high on your face and you knew that your smile was just as big as Joe’s. Tightening your hold on his hand, you waited patiently for the big reveal. Joe was ahead of you though, and decided to ask the doctor himself.

“That’s amazing. But--if you don’t mind answering, what’s the gender?” The question hung up in the air and the doctor nodded in acknowledgement, her eyes gleaming with happiness and recognition.

You were bouncing your leg up and down, and the time span of a few seconds you anxiously bit down on the tips of your nails. Joe was obviously antsy too, his body on the edge of his seat as you were on the edge of the examination table. Leaning forward in excitement, you drummed your fingers against your thigh.

“Ah yes, of course, well, I’m very happy to announce that you two are the proud parents of a beautiful, healthy boy. Congratulations!”

Blood was rushing through your ears and it wasn’t until your husband reacted did you ever move too. Eyes growing wide, you practically squealed in excitement, your whole form bouncing up and down the examination table as you looked at your husband. The two of you were exuberant, the doctor letting out a small smile just by looking at how absolutely joyous you two were.

Turning each other’s forms to each other, Joe’s hands gripped your upper arms while leaning in. He leaned forward to press his forehead against yours like he always did. You felt your mind creating pictures of your future life with Joe and your baby, flashing them like a slideshow.

You knew Joe never really let out tears, but you could seem some welling up in his eyes.

Casting a downwards glance at your stomach and setting his hands there, Joe cooed affectionately, “Hello Gabriel, me and your mama love you so much...”

Removing his hands from your belly, he brought them upwards to cup your face. Your eyes met and your heart raced faster as his next words. He beamed uncontrollably as his mouth opened, his eyes threatening to burst with tears as yours was the same.

“See, darlin’? I told you we could get through this. I’ll always be here for you, (Y/N). Forever and always.”

There in that moment, it was just you three. You, Joe, and your beautiful baby boy and you couldn’t imagine trading away this moment for even the entire world.

---------

Author’s Note: Oh jeez, I hope I didn’t bore you with this fic! I guess I also changed some things, so ahh I’m sorry if it’s not what you imagined. If I made a few mistakes with either writing or portrayal, I apologize for that. But thank you all for reading, have a great day, my loves! <3

#band of brothers #band of brothers x reader #joseph liebgott #joseph liebgott x reader #band of brothers fanfiction #joseph liebgott fanfiction #hbo war #hbo war x reader #hbo war fanfiction

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utopianvoices · 5 years ago

Text

dating au | s.mingi

⤗ check my masterlist for other members!

how he acts around you

this tol fluffy babie

will want to spend most of his time with you

expect him to be latched onto you 24/7

WILL gush about you every single time he gets the chance to

till one day jongho got so sick of it

he just taped mingi’s mouth and seonghwa had to come rescue him

although everyone secretly thanked jongho

if you’re not physically there, he’ll resort to texting you

is always on his phone whenever he gets the free time

and is always texting you

at this point, the members look at him on his phone, and just

“can you ask y/n what time they’re coming.”

“why me?”

“aren’t you already texting them...”

doesn’t and can’t retort because he WAS texting you

but the only problem is that

it wasn’t getting through into your cute dumb head that he /likes/ you

and that you’re not just his best friend or smth

which ngl obviously saddened you

but because we’re cool kids

we pretend that we aren’t phased by this lack of progression

╥﹏╥

on top of the acting, you even go out of your way to reaffirm your best friendship :D

reader pliz

“hey so you know how we’re friends, and that you know everything about me and stuff like that?”

“yea?”

and you’re just like : O

is this what you think it is

but of course, life isn’t fair

“so uh, i was wondering if you wanna take it to the next level?”

“so like.... best friends? (＾ω＾)”

safe to say mingi almost murdered himself right there and then

how he confesses

kinda gets sick of beating around the bush every time

also the fact that you weren’t the smartest crayon wasn’t helping

so one day when you pull your best friend card

he just goes

“look here, i like you.”

and you’re just like ??

but your heart’s also going crazy

so you kinda just stare at him

“i-i like you too?? i mean, haha we’re friends haha we have to like each other haha.”

and honestly at that point he’s considering dropping your ass and just living alone for the rest of his life

but no we can’t have that

we need plot development

he just kinda grabs you?

and may or may not bend down to be face to face with you

mingi sweetie no

and stares you in the eye

“i like you, dumbass. stop calling me your best friend. i don’t want to be your best friend. that loser yunho can be your best friend.”

and you just blink at him, not knowing what to say or where this was going

“i wanna be your boyfriend.”

*cue shocked pikachu meme*

: O

“quick, say something. i’m losing my mind here.”

maybe it’s the desperation in his voice

but you manage to pick yourself up and clear your throat

face heated up at that point

and you whisper a hoarse “i like you too.”

it was soft, but he heard it

which was more than enough to make this little songfish baby happy

(•ө•)♡

instead of scooping you into a hug he just kinda

bends down

and buries his head into your chest

he’s just your babie after alll :’)

first date

already knew what he wanted to do for quite some time

not that he planned it or anything

but just kind of always wanted to do it with you

so he calls you and tells you to come over to the dorm

blindfolds you to bring you to the place and you’re like

“well even if i get murdered it’d be an honour that it was mingi who did it.”

KIDDING

yes anyway

when he takes off your blindfold, you are standing in front of an ice rink

boy brought you for ice skating!!

which goes one of both ways

you already know how to ice skate, leaving mingi in the dust with his mediocre skills

you completely suck at it, and mingi can use his mediocre-but-seems-amazing skills to teach you

obviously he was hoping it was the second situation

and lo and behold

the gods must have been on his side

because you were terrible at it

or even if you were good, just pretend for this poor boy

so he starts getting cocky and goes

“don’t worry baby, i’ll teach you”

tbh you would’ve punched him in the guts for that egoistic comment

but you were too busy dying over the fact that he called you baby with his deep ass voice

and let’s be real, he’s kinda dying inside the moment the word leaves his mouth too

“o-okay”

first kiss

if you think you’re gonna kiss on the first date

boy i hate to tell you this

but

you’re right

he leads you onto the rink and holds onto your waist at all times

you know

just to make sure you don’t fall

totally not because he just wanted to hold you

but that also means that if he loses his balance, you’re definitely going down with him

and fall he does

after all, his skills were only mediocre

tries to fall in such a way that you don’t land butt first

but you bore the full brunt by landing on your ass

and he just falls on top of you

mutters a thousand apologies until he realises how close your faces were

and the compromising position you were in

starts turning red and tries to stutter out a sentence

but you kinda just get so overcome by feelings???

that you just??? grab his face??

and give him a gentle peck

best way to shut him up

when you separate, he just stares in shock for a while

before you see a smirk spread on his face

“knew you couldn’t resist me.”

rolling you eyes, you’re about to retort when he cuts you off by pulling you into another kiss

and you would’ve continued kissing

if it wasn’t for the ice seeping through your shirt and freezing your back and butt

immediately scrambles up and pulls you up too, both of you laughing at the situation

first fight

probably either starts because of his straightforwardness

or his playfulness

either one

you were dressing up to go out with your friends

and you had tried on every outfit you had in the closet

but nothing satisfied you, and it did nothing to help the small insecurity you had within yourself

that maybe, you didn’t deserve to be with someone as perfect as mingi

but you swallow the negativity and finally try on an outfit that you don’t mind wearing

you walk out into the living room where mingi is playing games on his phone

“how does this look?”

and it really could be because he was too immersed in his game and didn’t think before speaking

but he just goes

“babe pls, that’s just NOT it.”

and at that point you just kinda burst at his reply

especially with all the uncertainties you were harbouring within yourself lately

“i’m sorry i’m not as perfect as you, but you don’t have to be so rude about it.”

storming back into your room and falling onto your bed, letting the tears seep into your pillow

you reach for your phone and type out a text through your tears, letting one of your friend know that you were not feeling well and would have to pass your meeting

before throwing it to the side and letting the pillow soak up all the shit you had been building up

you hear the door to your room creak open, faint footsteps getting louder as the person walked closer to you

the bed dips slightly and you still don’t lift your face off the pillow, not wanting to face whoever it was

“baby... are you okay? i’m so sorry for saying that, i definitely didn’t mean it in a terrible way. i guess i just wasn’t paying attention to the words i was using because of the game.”

you finally lift your head, turning to see your boyfriend looking at you with sad eyes, and it does nothing to make you feel better

you made him sad just because you couldn’t control your emotions

“i’m sorry for being such a terrible s/o.”

“y/n, listen. you’re nothing but amazing and i’m the luckiest to have you. i’m nowhere near perfect, but with you, it’s like i can be the best version of myself. it’s all because of you. you’re way more perfect than me in every way, no matter what anyone says.”

and you burst out into tears again, but this time your boyfriend’s there to hug all the uncertainties out of you

favourite things to do together

oooo whatever y’all do together is your favourite thing tbh

going shopping? what a beautiful broke life

baking? the kitchen’s on fire but that’s not a problem

lazing around? the perfect life

but if you really had to choose it would be going to the sauna together

just because mingi LOVED going there

and he doesn’t mind going alone

but it’s just so much better when going with someone

and yunho was getting sick of following mingi

so this is where you came in

you both spend hours in the sauna, talking and laughing boisterously

and tbh the other people in the sauna hate y’all

but you both don’t care

bcs you’re just so in love with no other cares in the world

uwu

general affection

clingy baby

but not so clingy to the point where you can’t ever shake him off

he has his clingy moments

when he wakes up

when you’re cooking

watching tv shows

always loves to keep his hands either around your shoulders or on your thighs

or if he’s feeling extra down that day, will just lay his head in your lap or on your chest

probably falls asleep that way

loves being the small spoon

which is funny because he’s so tall, but somehow curls up in such a way that he can be enveloped by you

babie most of the time but on days when he’s extra Active

kinda gets bold???

instead of kissing your cheeks and forehead

he’s suddenly attacking your neck and ears

also loves to hold both your hands in one of his hand

basically loves to flaunt his size

sometimes doesn’t understand the appropriateness of the situation

doesn’t care if the members are around

kinda just pulls you in for a kiss if he’s feeling it

and doesn’t stop until someone has to throw a shoe at him as a last resort

overall, he basically has two moods: babie and not so babie

#ateez #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #song mingi imagines #song mingi scenarios #song mingi #dating au series #dee scribbles #babie mingi vs not so babie mingi #who would win #: O

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docmanda · 4 years ago

Text

Whumptober 2020 No.2: In the hand of the Enemy (”You pick who dies”/Collars/Kidnapped)

Fandom: TGCF Characters: Xie Lian, Jun Wu Pairing: None Prompt: Collars Warnings: Jun Wu. He needs a warning all by himself read it on AO3

Xie Lian stares at the abomination in the Heavenly Emperor´s lily-white hands and swallows hard.When he had asked for his spiritual power to be locked away as penance for his misdeeds he hadn't thought that the term “shackle” would be meant quite so literally. He had expected an array of some kind, maybe even drawn directly on his skin...but not this. The starkly black leather collar in Jun Wu´s hands is as wide as three of his fingers and even from where he is kneeling at the foot of the Emperor's throne he can feel the malice it emits and has to forcibly keep himself from shrinking away as the Emperor descends the steps and comes closer.

“Are you truly sure about this Xian Le? I would not require it, a few decades of banishment would suit me just fine. The application of this is...uncomfortable, to say the least.”

Jun Wu´s voice is gentle, kind even but Xie Lian shakes his head vigorously. They had this argument before already and he had made his choice….even though it takes every last bit of steel left in his core to not take the offered possibility of an out, even now. From up closer the aura of the thing in Jun Wu´s hands is even more vile and he can see what seems to be metal spikes on the inside of it too. He bows low in front of him, more to get the collar out of his line of sight then out of true subservience, his forehead nearly touching the cold floor of the Great Martial Hall

“This lowly one thanks the Emperor for his kindness and concern...but I have made my decision and beg that his Imperial Majesty would grant this lowly servant´s wish.”

The honorifics taste foul in Xie Lian´s mouth and he keeps his head low so the Emperor can´t see his face. Yes he had been generous, kind even when Xie Lian had dragged his sad body back up to Heaven to ask for his punishment, thousands of lives lost weighing heavily on his heart. And while Jun Wu was willing to grant leniency now he hadn't lifted a single, royal finger when Xie Lian had begged him for help before, not even when it had been clear that one of the Ghost Kings had been the main culprit responsible for the disease that had cost him everything he ever held dear. Xie Lian knew that the Heavenly Emperor couldn´t get involved in every little problem and he knew that, with his decision to descend from Heaven and personally get involved in Xian Le´s civil war he had violated nearly every rule that existed for a case like this. And yet he could not help but think that it was unfair for a single Martial God to be able to hold his own against a Devastation Class Ghost King like Bai Wuxiang. Jun Wu might have had his reasons for turning a blind eye on what was happening in the earthly realm until it was too late and he finally got involved..but Xie Lian wasn´t quite willing to forgive him for that.

“As you wish then. Stand, Xian Le.”

Xie Lian does as he is told, staring straight at Jun Wu´s breastplate and trying not to look at the thing in his hands too closely. The Emperor is taller than him by nearly a head and with his snow white armor and cape he presents an imposing picture, especially up this close where Xie Lian could just reach out a hand to touch him. He takes a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the pain he is sure will soon follow...and yet he can't help but jump a little when the Emperor´s fingertips slightly raise his chin so he has to look at Jun Wu´s face.

“Ah my little one..the things I do for you.”

The Emperor chuckles indulgently as a warm hand cups Xie Lian´s cheek, his thumb gently stroking the soft skin right underneath his right eye making him shudder with sudden, unexpected revulsion. The smile on Jun Wu´s face projects nothing but benevolence and a little sorrow at what he is about to do...but his eyes are as dead and lifeless as a corpse´s and Xie Lian can feel the small hairs on the back of his neck rise, something cold and scared settling right between his shoulder blades. He has seen eyes like this before, they haunt his every dream and most of his waking moments, eyes as dead as a corpse´s hidden behind a white mask. But before he can finish the thought the grip on his face turns from gentle to rough, Jun Wu mercilessly holding his face in place as he finally places the collar around Xie Lian´s throat...and the last memory Xie Lian has when the collar locks in place and he starts screaming is of a grin turning greedy and cold eyes sparkling with malice in a face as cold and beautiful as snow

----------*~ ~*----------

(..the collar grows tight enough around his throat to choke him, metal spikes embedding themselves in his soft flesh, opening the way for something entering him, cold and foul and terrifying, and Xie Lian had fought back then but the Emperor´s grip had been merciless, holding him in place and crushing the small bones in his wrist as he tried to grab for the collar and tear it of, all the while tutting at him and gently admonishing him as if you would a misbehaving child, the feel of icy cold armor against his skin when his legs had finally given out and he had collapsed against the Emperor´s body, eliciting a small burst of pearly laughter from Jun Wu as he softly patted his back, cooing and comforting with one hand while the other ruthlessly pressed the collar into Xie Lian´s skin until there was nothing left but pain pain pain and a pattern of black bruises around his throat, just like there had been around his mother's throat when he had cut her from the ceiling beam and the first thing Xie Lian does when he sees a reflection of himself is to rip a piece of fabric from his sleeve to tie around his throat and then retch for what felt like hours, his empty stomach bringing up nothing but bile)

----------*~ ~*----------

Later, after he has stumbled his way out of the Great Martial hall without so much as a glance at the Emperor he won't be able to recall any of their last exchange, the only thing he can think about is to get away as fast as possible and when he throws himself from the Heaven´s and sees their golden glow vanish behind the clouds Xie Lian should feel despair...and yet, when his body impacts with the ground below, shattering his back and making blood rise in the throat of his newly near-mortal body the only thing he can feel is relief.

(if you liked it, leave a comment or a kudo for a poor starving author <3)

#whumptober2020 #no.2 #collars #tgcf #fic

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spikeymarshmallows · 5 years ago

Note

3, kleigo! for the kiss post! love your writing

I AM SO SO SO SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER.

And thank you to @unrememberedskies for existing.

kissing so desperately that their whole body curves into the other person’s

For this thingo

"What are we thinking this morning? Waffles? Eggs? No, I don't feel like eggs." Klaus surveyed the contents of the fridge with a frown. There was so much green stuff.

This is what he got for going away again.

This happened every time. His work would take him away for a few weeks, he'd explore the world, eat amazing cuisines, set up new projects here, finish them there—and then he'd return and find Diego had, once again, filled their kitchen with innumerable amounts of fresh food.

What was wrong with toaster waffles?!

He stood back and rested a hand on his hip as, humming his displeasure as he took it all in.

"Fiiiine," he groused, grabbing a few things and placing them on the counter behind him. He knew how to make some of the smoothies that Diego liked. He'd just been hoping to make something a little more… well, something a little more.

He'd woken around 2, and even though he couldn't sleep, he lay there, enjoying the feeling of Diego's leg thrown over his, the warmth that emanated from him. He'd grabbed his eReader sometime after 3, and had read by its dim backlight for a few hours before finally going to shower and generally try to fill his time until Diego woke.

It probably wasn't good for the jet lag, but none of the tips for getting over jet lag had ever helped him anyway.

Diego was still asleep, which was perfectly normal, given the early hour. Klaus' body clock was still on Dublin time, and the only reason he'd managed the few hours sleep he did was because Diego had fucked him senseless. Diego was good like that—selfless, really. He always made sure to fuck Klaus until he was so exhausted he couldn't help but sleep after, and it was probably the most effective thing he could do for his jet lag now that he thought about it.

He grinned to himself.

Klaus didn't even have it in him to pretend to be grumpy about the food available to him; he was just so happy to be home. He loved his job. He really, truly did. But there was something special about being home again.

He hummed to himself. Sitting on the counter across from him, Ben rolled his eyes. Ben hated the song. Klaus grinned and hummed it with a little more enthusiasm.

"Not exactly what I had in mind when I figured I'd bring Di breakfast in bed, but, I suppose it'll have to do." He started carefully slicing up various fruits. He left all the vegetables in the fridge; Klaus may have been feeling benevolent, but even he had standards. And breakfast smoothies did not deserve to be tainted with vegetables.

He danced along with the song in his head, singing under his breath, as he slowly filled the blender.

Fruit, almond milk… What else was there? Diego liked those chia seeds too. Okay, chia seeds. What else?

Oh shit, the ice. He forgot the ice.

He started the blender, wincing at the grating sound it made as it tore through everything. He'd been hoping that he wouldn't wake Diego up, but that was probably shot to shit now.

Well, that's what he got for not having the makings of pancakes available. Pancakes were a lot quieter.

"Oh! Protein powder!" Klaus cried, remembering at the last second. He scrambled through the cupboards, contemplating the different flavours before figuring the pink one was probably berry, and would go well in the smoothie. He measured out the protein powder, and flicked off the blender so he could pour it in. After examining the vibrantly coloured drink for a moment, he decided to add some extra milk.

Across the living room, the bedroom door opened, and a sleepy Diego appeared.

"Hey baby!" Klaus said cheerfully, turning the blender back on.

He realised a second too late that he'd forgotten to put the lid back on. Diego and Ben realised, of course, but Klaus got the message after it had covered him spectacularly. Klaus fumbled to turn the stupid blender off, and in doing so, turned it up higher before managing to get it off.

Diego and he stood, blinking at each other from across the space. The room was utterly silent, but for the very faint sound of traffic outside.

Neither of them said a word for what felt like a lifetime.

Some milk dripped down from curls that fell across Klaus' face—he really needed to trim those. There was smoothie everywhere. It was cold and wet through the satin kimono he'd thrown on, and there was some on his bare chest too. At least it wasn't on his underwear, he supposed? Wait, no. No. It was on his briefs too.

Ugh. This was going to be a pain in the ass to clean up.

Diego blinked a few more times, nodded once to himself, and then disappeared back into the bedroom.

"Fair enough!" Klaus called to the closed door.

He stared hopelessly at the mess around him. Did he start by cleaning himself up, or cleaning the space up?

The door to the bedroom opened again. Diego's face was a little wild, and he crossed the living space in a few large strides.

Klaus watched him, thrown. Diego didn't seem upset, at least, but…

Diego reached out and wiped some of the smoothie off Klaus' cheek, not speaking. He brushed some of Klaus' curls away from his face. His expression was unreadable. Klaus laughed awkwardly but leaned into the touch; what else was there to do?

The hand that had been on his cheek slid down his neck, across his shoulder, down his arm until Diego gently took his hand.

And then—

"Wait, what are you doing?" Klaus asked, inhaling sharply.

Diego looked up at him from one knee, a shaky smile on his face. There was a faint pillow crease against his cheek from where he'd been sleeping minutes earlier. His hair stuck at a thousand angles, and his t-shirt and boxers were wrinkled. And… Shit.

"Diego, no, I'm covered in smoothie and—" Klaus stopped, hand pressed over his mouth. Was this really happening?

Diego raised a sardonic eyebrow before his expression melted back into something that could only be described as blind adoration. "This w-was," he stopped, cleared his throat, and exhaled before he started again. "This was absolutely not how I planned to do this. I cannot believe I'm proposing like this either. I didn't really have a plan yet, but it was going to be romantic as shit because I know you love that, and god fucking knows I love you more than anything on this planet."

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're doing this while I'm covered in smoothie," Klaus tittered. He was shaking all over, and his breath was coming in a little shorter, a little sharper.

"I was gonna write a speech too, because you know I'm not good with words. So, I'm sorry I don't have a big, fancy speech all planned out. But." Diego shook his head a little, looking back down. He opened a little black box with his spare hand, but Klaus couldn't look away from Diego's face to take it in. "But… You're my everything. Always have been, always will be. And I want to spend a forever telling you what a fucking disaster you are, and much I love every single thing about you."

Klaus hadn't even realised his eyes were stinging, or that they were filling until a few fat tears rolled down his face.

"I hate you so much right now," Klaus laughed wetly. His chest felt like it was bursting open. His fingers in Diego's were shaking, but it wasn't like Diego was much better.

The nervousness in Diego's face was fading, and he was still looking at Klaus like he hung the fucking moon. And there was still milk dripping from Klaus' curls, and another tear fell down his face.

"I know," Diego said and grinned widely. "But in spite of that—will you marry me?"

Klaus nodded emphatically, swallowing past the lump in his throat. He didn't trust himself to speak this time, so for once he didn't try to.

Diego let Klaus' hand drop, and he drew the ring from it's box, and slipped it onto Klaus' finger. The metal was cool, and heavy, and when Klaus glanced down at it, tiny inlaid diamonds caught the light and sparkled. It was simple, and despite the diamonds, quite understated, and, fuck, it was absolutely perfect. Diego had chosen perfectly.

And then Diego was standing as Klaus grasped at his t-shirt, trying to bring them both as close as possible. Klaus kissed him hard, and deep, wrapping his arms around Diego's neck and trying to say without words everything he was feeling. Diego's arms snaked around his back and pulled Klaus in so tight that his body curved to fit Diego's shape.

He was barely aware of it, but they were both mumbling how much they loved each other against the others mouth, unable or unwilling to draw away long enough to actually verbalise it.

It was desperate, and wet, and hot, and Klaus had never been so disgustingly in love. Diego pushed the kimono off his shoulders, and Klaus was able to yank Diego's shirt off too. Diego crowded him against the counter, lifting him easily so that he was seated against it. Klaus wrapped his legs around Diego's waist, pawing at whichever parts of him he could reach.

"Oh my god," Klaus got out between kisses. "You asked me to marry you."

Diego laughed. He sounded as giddy as Klaus felt. "You said 'yes'."

Klaus laughed, tilting his head back so that Diego could kiss down his neck.

"Oh my god. I said 'yes'." He grabbed as much of Diego's hair as he could, and dragged him back in for another kiss. "Oh my god, we're going to get married."

"Oh my god," Diego teased, "do you ever shut up?"

"I thought you said you loved every single thing about me."

"I do. Doesn't mean I don't wish you'd shut up and let me kiss you."

"Oh, well, when you put it—"

Diego shut him up with another kiss, and Klaus had never been happier to have been silenced.

"Okay, but seriously, while I was covered in smoothie?" Klaus laughed some time later, rolling his head to the side so that he could look at Diego. The marble countertop was still cold against his back, but it was soothing on his heated skin.

Diego's breathing was only now beginning to steady too. Sunshine poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows and lit Diego from behind, making it look as if he was glowing.

Diego snorted a laugh and shrugged. He groaned with effort as he rolled onto his side and shifted so they were closer, as if they hadn't just been as close as two humans could possibly be. "I just. You were there, and you're such a fucking disaster, and such a fucking idiot, and I… I just knew. I love you so much. I had to. I had to do it right then."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at him and then lazily lifted his hand up so he could admire the ring properly. He hadn't had a chance to yet, and he was once again overwhelmed with the reminder of how well Diego knew him. The tiny diamonds caught the light and glittered beautifully.

Diego moved his head to rest against Klaus' shoulder, looking up at the ring before back at Klaus' face. Klaus lowered his hand and Diego twined their fingers together. He brought Klaus' hand to his mouth and kissed the ring. Klaus smiled as Diego then moved to kiss his nose before resting his head against Klaus' chest.

"I'm not going to tell everyone the circumstances under which this occurred," Klaus said. "You were very romantic. There were candles and flowers. And it was at a nice restaurant. Or in a park with hundreds of fairy lights. And I was wearing something cuter than my goddamn underwear and almond milk."

"Did I still fuck you on the kitchen counter afterwards?" Diego teased, smirking.

"Oh yes, that part of the story can stay." He glanced to his other side at the blender, and the mess that still needed cleaning up. He huffed and turned back to Diego, curling an arm around him.

They could clean up later.

#kliego #spikey writes

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